How we built the largest relief operation: Meet the Food Fighters

 

25 Million Meals: The Latest from Ukraine By truck, by train, by passenger car, and van... A country-wide logistics network spanning dozens of warehouses... Hot meals, grocery kits, fresh ingredients, and shelf-stable packs... In big cities, small villages, and even Russian-occupied territory... With your support, WCK has built the largest food relief operation in Ukraine, reaching more than 230 cities and towns. Combined with the seven other countries we are still cooking in daily, WCK has now served 25 million meals. This work wouldn't be possible without the 4,300 team members – cooking in restaurants, stocking warehouses, delivering meals, driving trucks – who work tirelessly to feed their neighbors in need, even while under attack themselves. These are the Food Fighters of Ukraine: HELP US CONTINUE SERVING MEALS IN UKRAINE After arriving on the Poland-Ukraine border to provide hot meals to refugee families just 24 hours after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we quickly scaled up operations. WCK teams began operating 24/7 at all border crossings in neighboring countries, while at the same time getting in touch with chefs in Ukraine. The handful of restaurants we started with steadily grew to hundreds of kitchens that now prepare hundreds of thousands of daily fresh meals. While we began cooking from a WCK Relief Kitchen near the border in Poland, we set up a huge warehouse in Warsaw. From Warsaw, trucks transport millions of pounds of food into Ukraine, adding to what we are also purchasing within the country. In the western city of Lviv, we set up multiple warehouses and established a cargo railway hub, where we fill train wagons with food every day and dispatch them to cities across the country. Our regional WCK teams receive this food at local warehouses and oversee deliveries to thousands of community locations. With our #ChefsForUkraine operation nearing three months, we are working to provide long-term support. One example: we began a meal voucher program in Lviv, where temporary homes have been built for refugee families. Using a voucher, each person can walk to a nearby cafeteria to receive a free meal at any time—and choose the food they want. We are expanding this program to more locations in Lviv and across Ukraine, giving families more control and putting money back into the local economy. In many places, especially towns that were previously under Russian occupation, families are able to cook but are struggling with access to ingredients. WCK meets this need by packing grocery kits containing 30 pounds of products. From our warehouse in Dnipro, the Relief Team is delivering these grocery kits for families throughout the region—especially in places like Nikopol close to ongoing fighting. Across Ukraine, WCK teams have distributed nearly 11 million pounds of food including flour, salt, pasta, oil, cheese, produce, canned meats, and more! Tatiana, who manages our warehouse in Kyiv, told us she gets calls from recipient families: “I hear stories of survival and how vital the food bags are, they’re lifelines.”  Around Kyiv, WCK trucks are transporting food to dozens of recently liberated towns, many which had not received aid thus far. After sourcing and fixing up an unused food truck, communities like Borodyanka—heavily destroyed by Russian troops—are also being served hot meals on the go! Meeting local needs further north near Chernihiv, WCK's Zachary delivered food and a kitchen kit with a stove to Luba who has been taking care of six dogs, often hiding with them in her closet during attacks. Further east, liberated Trostyanets was decimated by attacks and left with critical food needs. WCK set up an outdoor cafe that is cooking and providing fresh fruit everyday for residents still here and families just returning. In nearby Kharkiv, one of our WCK restaurant partners has opened up to provide a space for families to share a meal together after being trapped under occupation for two months: Meet Kate, checking in from a WCK restaurant in Kharkiv! After a missile strike killed 59 civilians a month ago, Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine was recently targeted again as rockets hit residential buildings across the city. At one housing complex where many seniors still live, the destruction left them without power and water. Our Relief Team quickly mobilized to help bandage the injured and bring fresh, restaurant-prepared meals door-to-door. WCK will continue this work in Ukraine as long as we're needed. Thank you for standing alongside us and the people of Ukraine to make it all possible. WCK Serving Thousands as Wildfires Spread in New Mexico Fires fueled by hot, dry, and windy conditions have destroyed homes and burned hundreds of thousands of acres of land across northern New Mexico. The situation remains fluid and our Relief Team is working alongside the community to provide evacuees and emergency responders with fresh, nourishing meals. Together with WCK restaurant partners, we are providing meals for people in the affected areas—and our Relief Kitchen in Santa Fe is cooking thousands of meals for displaced families, including people sheltering in Albuquerque. To honor Mother's Day, our team prepared a special meal alongside local baked goods and a salad bar provided by the team at Glorieta Camp—a large shelter supporting hundreds of evacuees. WCK also worked with a local florist to beautify dining areas with centerpieces—an effort to bring comfort and joy to families going through an incredibly difficult time. For kids impacted by the fires, our team has partnered with Project:Camp to serve lunch at their day camp program that gives the children fun activities to do throughout the day. As the situation continues to evolve, our team is ready to scale up our support for families affected.  For the latest on all our emergency response efforts and resilience programs, follow WCK on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.