11.5+ million meals served in Middle East

 

In this newsletter: Middle East | Tennessee | Mexico | Ukraine WCK’s first Relief Kitchen in Gaza opens Since our response to the conflict in the Middle East began in October, World Central Kitchen, alongside our partners, has provided more than 11.5 million meals in the region in the form of freshly prepared, hot meals and food kits. And now, we have overcome immense challenges to begin cooking thousands of daily meals from WCK’s first Relief Kitchen in Gaza this week.  Through our kitchen and those of our partners, we are quickly scaling our capacity to produce meals for Palestinians who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. At the same time, we are supporting families near the border in Israel who live in communities under threat of rocket attack as well as seniors now unable to access food by themselves. Our partners in Lebanon are also providing thousands of meals daily to people displaced from homes near the Israeli border as a result of the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled to southern Gaza in search of safety. The population of Rafah—the territory’s southern-most city—has swelled from 250,000 to well over a million. The high concentration of displaced families means large makeshift camps have emerged in the region. In order to get families the support they need, when and where they need it, our teams are providing meals at camps, hospitals, and schools that have become shelters. Watch as WCK's Sam reports while distributing food kits in Rafah. We are working with NGO and UN partners to bring meals directly to people in need. WCK teams are also working with community leaders like Najah who runs the Center for Women Programs in Rafah. As the conflict began to displace more and more people, she opened the doors of her home and community center to offer shelter to families fleeing. Najah uses WCK-provided ingredients and supplies to prepare hundreds of meals daily. Despite recently breaking her leg, she continues overseeing the shelters. This determination has earned her the nickname “Power Mama” from our team. Learn more about these efforts in our latest blog post. Relief Team in Tennessee after tornadoes A series of deadly storms and tornadoes tore through Tennessee last week, displacing and leaving thousands without power. WCK’s Relief Team was on the ground across the state within hours, working alongside longtime partners to support families impacted. We have provided more than 13,000 meals to people in Clarksville, Nashville, White Bluff, and Ashland City. Power has returned to most communities and food needs are decreasing. However, some families will likely remain in hotels and shelters over the holidays. As we wind down our response, we are making plans to spread some holiday joy to people unable to return home yet. Nashville-based Chef Corps member Paul and his mom, Betty, cooked chicken pot pie alongside our team in a high school in Clarksville. Betty had a long career in school food service and was in her element. “She runs circles around me,” Paul says. Learn more about our efforts here. WCK spreads holiday cheer in Mexico The holiday season is in full swing in Mexico, and WCK teams are spreading cheer as our efforts in response to Hurricane Otis wind down. In every town and neighborhood we have visited in the last week, our teams have brought the hot, nourishing meals that we are known for. But WCK also prides itself on bringing joy and hope along with food. So we were joined by very special volunteers to make our deliveries jolly—Santa and Mrs. Claus! Along with piñatas, sweet treats, and holiday food kits to make special meals, our teams ensure families in communities impacted by Hurricane Otis have a holiday season that is merry and bright.  Meet Polina, WCK’s Culinary Lead in Ukraine We recently sat down with Polina, WCK’s Culinary Lead in Ukraine, to discuss how her team supports communities in need and what motivates her to show up day after day for Ukrainians living through Russia’s invasion. As part of WCK’s team, she oversees all the culinary functions of our work throughout the country. Read our conversation here. Support our efforts in Ukraine. SUPPORT OUR WORK