From Gaza to California | 10 countries, 11 responses

 

WCK Supports Gaza Families Returning Home As some families in Gaza begin returning home, often unsure of the damage to their homes, World Central Kitchen teams are with them every step of the way. We’re providing food, bread, and cooking ingredients to help families rebuild their lives, ensuring they have warm, nourishing meals as they gather again. Teams across our network of kitchens are steadily increasing cooking capacity, currently serving more than 600,000 meals each day. With our two new large-scale kitchens now fully operational in Deir al-Balah and Mawasi and joining our existing kitchen network, we’re getting closer to our goal of 1 million meals daily. WCK Founder José Andrés sat down with CNN’s Anderson Cooper to discuss the current state of our operations in Gaza. Across the Region In Israel, WCK teams are also providing comfort and care to families affected by the ongoing crisis. With local partners, we served dinner in Tel Aviv to released hostages and their loved ones as they reunited after two years apart. We also delivered comforting meals to families of hostages staying in hospitals, offering care and nourishment as their relatives begin to recover. At the same time, we are still on the ground in Lebanon, supporting a network of community kitchens to serve thousands of meals daily to families impacted by ongoing conflict. This week, WCK teams around the world served nearly 900,000 meals daily to communities in need. From flood zones to earthquake-affected towns, our Relief Team is providing nourishment, comfort, and hope wherever it’s needed most. Here’s a look at the other regions we’re supporting across the globe. Click on the Map to Expand 📍ALASKA — The remnants of Typhoon Halong flooded several communities along Alaska’s southwest coast. WCK is serving meals to first responders and families displaced from their homes, many of whom have been relocated to shelters in Bethel—a hub accessible only by air, river, or 4-wheelers. We’re using planes, boats, and ATVs to reach families cut off by flooding, including delivering 700 pounds of food to Nightmute. Along the Kuskokwim River, our teams are bringing meals to remote coastal communities and cooking for evacuees sheltering in Anchorage. 📍CALIFORNIA — WCK’s commissary kitchen in Los Angeles remains open 10 months after the Eaton and Palisades fires hit local communities. Chefs and restaurants lost their kitchens, making it hard to rebuild. By keeping our commissary kitchen running, we’ve provided a space for chefs to restart cooking and breathe new life into their businesses. In addition to operating our Commissary Kitchen, WCK is continuing to support Farmers Markets in Altadena and Topanga Canyon—offering vouchers to families who lost their homes so they can receive fresh, organic produce.  📍TENNESSEE — WCK is on the ground in Waverly after the deadly explosion at the AES munitions plant. Working with WCK Chef Corps members Chef Julio Hernandez of Maiz de la Vida and Chef Lauren Morales of TomKats Hospitality, our teams are serving meals to first responders and families mourning loved ones at a local church. 📍ARIZONA — WCK mobilized quickly in Globe, Miami, and the San Carlos Apache Reservation after a second wave of flooding hit the region. Having first responded to severe flooding in late September, our teams and local restaurant partners reactivated immediately to prepare hundreds of meals for families in need. As floodwaters recede and needs decrease, WCK is coordinating with community leaders to transition meal support to local organizations. 📍MEXICO — In Veracruz, WCK teams responded within hours to flooding caused by heavy rains. We’re serving thousands of hot meals in Poza Rica and Álamo and are expanding to new areas as floodwaters recede. Our teams have also started delivering by air, bringing sandwiches to families still cut off from aid. 📍HAITI — For five months, WCK and our partner Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti have supported communities in Verrettes, serving meals to families displaced from Petite Rivière by ongoing violence. We're sourcing ingredients from local farmers and suppliers, strengthening the local economy while providing hot, home-style meals. 📍SPAIN — In Catalonia, communities have faced flash flooding from DANA Alice. WCK teams are in La Ràpita, Godall, and other hard-hit towns, serving meals to first responders, volunteers, and families returning home to begin cleanup. Working with local restaurant partners, we’ll continue supporting recovery efforts however we can. Hear from Sonia, one of our partner chefs, about how she stepped up for her community. 📍UKRAINE — As Russian attacks intensified, WCK Emergency Response Teams served meals and warm drinks in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, and Kharkiv. With winter approaching, we’re shifting to support families through the cold months ahead. 📍PAKISTAN — WCK and our partner Rizq have served more than 3.5 million meals to families affected by monsoon flooding. We’re providing both hot meals and food kits, helping families returning home cook for themselves again with supplies that last several days. 📍PHILIPPINES — In northern Cebu, WCK teams are supporting communities hit by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. Many families remain outside their homes due to ongoing aftershocks or have sought shelter along main roads. We've scaled up quickly to serve hot meals to as many people as possible. Help Us Keep Cooking For Families in Need Across the World