José Andrés runs a humanitarian relief nonprofit called World Central Kitchen and has dished up over 500,000 meals on three islands in the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.
Chef Andrés started the organization to help Haiti after their devastating earthquake in 2010. Since then, they’ve donated meals in other areas hit hard by natural disasters.
Andrés and his team began setting up before Dorian made landfall at the Abaco Islands on September 1 as a category 5 hurricane. The hurricane had incredible maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
They waited out the massive storm so they could immediately serve in the aftermath.
So where are we @WCKitchen right now? Just on the edge… but safe! Meeting now with Bahama officials @opmthebahamas to help coordinate feeding response! #ChefsForBahamas pic.twitter.com/vCHztBu8SO
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) September 1, 2019
Grand Bahama Island saw the hurricane, still a category 5, the next day, where it stalled over the island before heading to Florida on September 3. Dorian is the strongest hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas—the damage is caused was estimated at over $7 billion and at least 50 people died, with an additional 1,300 still missing.
Andrés tweeted about their efforts there and kept followers informed of the situation with videos. He met with Bahamian officials, aid groups, other chefs and tourism companies with yachts, cruise ships and helicopters—anyone else who could help—all while he coordinated three kitchens, each on different islands, to keep the food moving.
How do we organize a response in Bahamas? Here’s our current map we are working from…. @WCKitchen has kitchens ready to go and shelters mapped out. If kitchens are destroyed, we build one and cook in big paella pans! https://t.co/yNzrfrKIaS pic.twitter.com/fa4sBN8qMe
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) September 1, 2019
Tens of thousands of hot meals, fruit and sandwiches were served daily. There were even vegan and gluten free options. Every day of the effort, boats and helicopters arrived with hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh supplies. He was determined that not a single person there would go hungry or thirsty.
It’s important to remember that there was no electricity, so they also handed out solar lamps that could charge cell phones—many to families who were living in cars.
There didn’t seem to be a problem he and his team wouldn’t tackle.
The pier on Moore’s Island is coming together!! When I went, the community said this was the biggest problem…as they could not receive deliveries of food to cook. So @WCKitchen bought the wood and the first delivery arrived yesterday. Amazing quick progress! #ChefsForBahamas pic.twitter.com/peZG7l6gqe
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) September 21, 2019
Then, there were also Florida and the Carolinas to look after.
Anywhere there is a humanitarian crisis, World Central Kitchens is there, building kitchens, serving meals, talking to locals and always helping. From Puerto Rico to Guatemala, Tijuana to the Bahamas, you’ll find Andrés on the ground, surveying the situation and setting up his kitchens.
It's been just over 3 weeks since WCK began serving meals to those affected by Hurricane Dorian. Now, from 3 kitchens on 3 different islands, we have served 500,000 meals to evacuee shelters, churches, a hospital & into neighborhoods, and we're still cooking. #ChefsForBahamas pic.twitter.com/39YHMZTvRw
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) September 24, 2019
He has multitudes to feed.
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