The catastrophic flooding spans across South Texas, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. Cities such as Harlingen, McAllen, and Palmview have seen unprecedented rainfall, inundating streets and homes. Emergency crews have conducted numerous water rescues as drivers abandoned vehicles in rising waters. The flooding has forced evacuations, closed schools, and led officials to declare states of emergency in several areas. The National Weather Service warns that additional rainfall could worsen conditions.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in South Texas, where heavy rainstorms have caused widespread flooding and destruction. Over two days, storms brought six months’ worth of rain to the region. Our team is already working with Koko’s Cafe in McAllen to serve meals to families in need, while assessing the impact on affected communities.

Relief Team mobilizes in South Texas amid catastrophic floods

Help us keep cooking for families in North Carolina

Our team has been in the region for six months, serving meals to families impacted by Hurricane Helene. We are working with established partners from that response to ensure we reach people impacted by the fires. Our teams have already provided 1,200 meals to Silver Creek Baptist Church shortly after the Black Cove Complex fire broke out. In addition, we provided 800 meals to the Cruso Fire Department in Canton, whose firefighters were battling the blazes in Haywood County. 

Wildfires pose a high risk to communities across western North Carolina due to an intense drought in the region. The Deep Woods and Black Cove fires, both burning in Polk County, NC, have quickly become the largest, burning nearly 6,000 acres of land as of March 25. Several other fires have triggered evacuations and states of emergency in both states. 

In October of 2024, WCK began our response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Our teams have remained in North Carolina through the winter, as many residents in remote areas still lack access to power, water, and food. We remain committed to serving these communities, many of whom are also impacted by these fires, with hot meals and the tools they need to rebuild.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is supporting first responders and communities impacted by the wildfires in Western North Carolina.  We are working with partners in the heavily impacted Haywood County, including Ben’s Barbeque, a food truck owned by local first responders.

WCK is supporting North and South Carolina communities impacted by wildfires

In Elliott, Mississippi, Allison and her husband Rob of Nancy’s Donuts prepared delicious breakfast sandwiches that were distributed at a local church. The biscuit sandwiches are easy to eat on the go as residents work on recovery efforts.

Breakfast in Mississippi

Support our efforts to serve nourishing meals to families impacted by the storms.

In late March 2025, across several southeastern US states, raging winds downed power lines, sparking wildfires. Dust storms have done substantial damage, and dozens of tornadoes destroyed communities and homes. About 300,000 people are believed to be without electricity.

Our Community Outreach Team has worked with restaurants in the most impacted areas to provide meals. Despite challenges reaching rural communities, we’ve partnered with 12 restaurants across Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, and Alabama. Chef Corps member Haley Riley is among the local leaders stepping up. Teams at his Missouri-based BBQ restaurants, Salt + Smoke, are cooking comforting meals for families in need.

We are working closely with impacted communities and expand restaurant partnerships as new needs emerge. This model not only provides nourishing meals but also helps support the local economy in its recovery.

In the wake of severe storms across the southeastern United States, WCK is providing meals to hard-hit communities—no matter how remote. With no single “ground zero,” we adapted our approach, conducting widespread assessments to identify the hardest-hit towns and quickly mobilizing restaurant partners to cook and deliver meals.

WCK mobilizes across southeastern US after tornado and storm outbreak

Fighting in Gaza is escalating rapidly, with Israeli strikes across the territory. With no designated humanitarian zones and new orders limiting access, World Central Kitchen has had to continuously rework our operations.

WCK Cooking in Gaza Despite Reduced Humanitarian Access

We believe, at our core, that compassion knows no bounds.

As Ramadan settles on the world, we find ourselves called to our humanity: to transform empathy into action and kindness into relief. You can help us reach our goal to provide 5 million meals to families and individuals in Gaza and Lebanon, this Ramadan.

Introducing the newest member of the WCK fleet in Gaza! This powerhouse food truck can bake 3,000 loaves of pita bread per hour. The Kingdom of Jordan supported the building and transport of the truck, which could help make a big difference for the meals of the people it serves

WCK's Mobile Bakery

Despite significant restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, our teams have delivered over 110 million meals by land, sea, and air. We've set up four large-capacity Field Kitchens in southern and central Gaza and established a network of Palestinian-led, WCK-supported Community Kitchens that provide thousands of meals every day. With the help of local partners, we are expanding our food distribution efforts to the north, where the growing influx of returning families is increasing the demand for assistance.

Palestinian Voices

Community Kitchens

Maritime Aid

Supporting Farmers

Our Gaza team members embody WCK’s core values of empathy, adaptability, resilience, and collaboration. We invite you to read some of their inspiring stories.

WCK values shine through in Gaza

Khaled

Loai

Ahmed

Ramadan

Eid al-Adha

Anera is one of WCK's partners in Gaza and their organization has been focused on helping Palestinians for decades. Their staff on the ground is doing everything possible to deliver meals to families in hard-to-reach places, even while suffering personal losses of family members and friends.

Help us provide food to families in need.

Latest from the ground

In Gaza, relentless shelling and a ground offensive have killed tens of thousands of civilians and forced nearly two million more from their homes. Despite restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, WCK has provided more than 85 million meals by land, sea, and air to people in need.

Supporting Palestinians displaced by conflict in Gaza & West Bank

Supporting Palestinian families displaced by conflict in Gaza & West Bank

WCK is distributing free hot meals to first responders and the public at several locations in Southern California in response to the wildfires. 

Meal Distribution Sites

WCK's Impact to Date

WCK’s Trish, our Community Outreach Manager for the LA wildfire response, answered questions about our Southern California work on Reddit. People shared their questions and upvoted the ones that they found the most interesting.

Trish has played key roles on WCK responses to floods and earthquakes in Brazil, in Poland, and in Türkiye. As Community Outreach Manager, she leads many of our efforts to work with partners in Southern California, including restaurants and food trucks to bring meals to first responders, evacuating families, and residents in recovery. 

WCK's Trish Answers Questions About Our Efforts

At WCK, we know local chefs understand their communities best. Their expertise ensures meals reflect local flavors, meet cultural needs, and provide comfort. Many chefs we partner with, like Daniel Shemtob of our Chef Corps, are directly impacted by the crises we respond to.

Chef Daniel Shemtob Brings Relief Through Food to LA

How Chef Daniel Shemtob Brings Relief Through Food to LA

Families in Altadena are now returning home after the Eaton Fire devastated the area, destroying more than 9,000 structures and forcing over 30,000 people to evacuate. WCK has supported families since the Los Angeles fires began. Now, we are standing together as community members return to assess damage and begin recovery. People who are dealing with the impacts of wildfires on their homes and neighborhoods should not have to worry about finding a reliable source of food—we're here with a comforting meal.

WCK Provides Meals for Families Returning to Fire-Ravaged Altadena

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris returned to her home state and joined our wildfire relief efforts, distributing food at two WCK sites in Altadena.

Kamala Harris Joins WCK in Los Angeles

People from across California have come together to support communities impacted by the wildfires. Hundreds of locals have joined WCK's efforts, cooking, serving meals, and helping kickstart recovery. These are some of their stories.

Jennifer Garner

Eva Longoria

LA Dodgers

Evan Funke

WCK Chef Corps member Tyler Florence quickly joined our teams on the frontlines of the wildfires to ensure first responders have access to nourishing food to sustain their efforts.

Tyler Florence Joins WCK's California Wildfire Response

Gordo Hibachi

Kogi BBQ

Dulanville Soul Food

Food Truck Partners

Chef Corps partners jumped to action right away. For their part, chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger stationed their Socalo Border Grill Catering truck outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where they have provided thousands of comforting meals.

Help us reach California families in need.

The Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton wildfires have forced approximately 30,000 residents to evacuate from areas like Pacific Palisades. The fires have consumed nearly 4,000 acres and threaten over 13,000 structures. Power outages have affected more than 200,000 people.

Firefighters are battling the blazes amid strong Santa Ana winds, with gusts up to 100 mph, hindering efforts. Severe wind and fire warnings remain in effect for the region as of Wednesday morning.

WCK teams have mobilized across Southern California to support anyone in need. We have served more than 1 million meals to date.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in Southern California to support first responders and families impacted by wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Our teams have mobilized across the region to provide immediate relief. We are working with restaurant and food truck partners to provide comforting meals.

Wildfires rage across Southern California

WCK and dedicated partners have overcome significant challenges, including lack of cooking supplies and a second storm. To date, we have served more than one million meals, thanks to the local cooks in our Field Kitchen and 50+ restaurant partners.

WCK & partners surpass 1 million meals served

Our Field Kitchen in Mayotte is up and running. We have already cooked thousands of meals, and we are scaling up production every day as we figure out better ways to work without running water.

Rachida and her team at Le Voulé, a partner on Grande-Terre, are adapting their usual operations to provide free meals to their community. By leaning into the knowledge of local chefs, WCK provides culturally appropriate dishes. 

The Power of Community

Sitty Fatima, owner of La Duchesse, one of WCK’s restaurant partner in Mayotte, has seen her business grow since starting out of her mother-in-law’s apartment. Grateful for the opportunity to open her own restaurant, she is now giving back to the community by supporting families impacted by Cyclone Chido. 

Meet Sitty Fatima

Help us keep cooking for families impacted by Cyclone Chido.

Chido was the worst cyclone to hit the region in 90 years, making landfall as a Category 4 cyclone and brought sustained winds of more than 136 mph. Public infrastructure on Mayotte was severely damaged or destroyed, including the airport and main hospital, electricity systems, and communications.

Mayotte, a small French department in the Indian Ocean, has a population of about 320,000 residents spread across two main islands and several smaller surrounding isles. It is the most densely populated and poorest French department and many residents lost everything in the storm, including their homes. 

Our teams cooked from our Field Kitchen. At the same time, we worked alongside dozens of restaurant partners and supporting community kitchens to ensure families impacted by the storm received nourishing, comforting meals. 

WCK’s Relief Team was in Mayotte to meet food and water needs after Cyclone Chido devastated the archipelago. We worked with local chefs and restaurants to provide thousands of nourishing meals daily.

Relief Team mobilizes to communities hit by Cyclone Chido

Serving thousands of meals each day in Spain.

The late October flooding affected nearly 80 cities in eastern Spain, leaving tens of thousands without access to basic necessities like water and electricity. The community played a crucial role in shaping our response, ensuring meals reached every area in need while honoring local traditions.

Thank You Spain

Neighbors Feeding Neighbors After Valencia Floods

Paiporta is home to about 28,000 people and experienced the worst of the flooding in the Valencia area. Residents worked hard to manage the damage and restore road access, and WCK food trucks were there to provide sandwiches, water, and fruit. We also set up multiple meal distribution sites, ensuring we could provide hot meals to as many people as possible. 

WCK brought joy and hope to families in Spain affected by devastating floods. From festive meals to fun activities, we created a space for communities to come together, share warmth, and celebrate Christmas.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

WCK Brings Holiday Cheer to Flood-Impacted Families in Spain

Serving paella in Paiporta

Chef Pepa Muñoz

A weather phenomenon, known locally in Spain as DANA, created a destructive storm system that brought more than a year's worth of rain in less than 12 hours in parts of Valencia. The ensuing flash flooding was catastrophic—people had no time to react as rivers overflowed into streets and swept into homes and businesses. The floods also covered roads and railways, which impacted immediate rescue and recovery efforts.

WCK teams arrived in Valencia quickly, ready to distribute sandwiches and assess food needs throughout the region. Working hand in hand with the community, we served more than 6.2 million meals and distributed over 3.9 million pounds of produce and other ingredients. From day one, neighbors, businesses, and volunteers united to drive the relief effort. We also provided essential tools, including generators, water pumps, and cleaning supplies.

World Central Kitchen Relief Teams were on the ground in the Valencia region of Spain to provide food, potable water, and other support after the worst flooding communities there had seen in decades.

WCK responds to severe flooding in Spain

On October 25, we welcomed First Lady Jill Biden and Governor Roy Cooper to World Central Kitchen’s operations in Asheville, North Carolina to share where WCK has been feeding residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

First Lady Jill Biden Visits WCK in NC

Hurricane Helene left widespread food need across the region. In Asheville, NC, infrastructure damage from the storm also created an acute water shortage. WCK is providing tens of thousands of gallons of potable water daily to impacted communities in the area. This water is a lifeline to Asheville and surrounding communities as recovery efforts continue. Watch as the first WCK water tankers arrive in Asheville.

Local leaders are an essential component to our work around the world. Our relief model relies on people rallying together and supporting one another when disaster strikes. WCK provides the framework and experience; citizens and the local culinary community are the magic.

Shania stepped up as a local community leader in Shiloh, North Carolina—working with WCK and other partners to help her community's recovery after Hurricane Helene. Shania reflects, “This is the opposite of Covid. Covid separated people. This, the closer we get together, the better.” Watch the video below to hear more from Shania.

Community empowerment in Shiloh, NC after Hurricane Helene

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WCK food truck partners were mission critical in getting free hot meals to people in need quickly after Hurricane Helene. Dozens trucks answered the call to help—many from the communities they are serving.

Food truck partners supporting Florida and Georgia communities

Help us keep cooking for families impacted by Hurricane Helene

WCK prepositioned in Tallahassee, Florida ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall. Multiple WCK food truck partners and our new Rapid Response Field Kitchen were readied so our teams could provide hot meals quickly after the storm. 

Our Relief Team initially provided meals to families in Florida and Georgia. As the storm moved inland across the Southeast, we mobilized to North Carolina and Tennessee where we remain on the ground. Fueled as always by our Chef Corps members, restaurant and food truck partners, and volunteers, WCK is working shoulder-to-shoulder with local communities to blanket the devastated region with much needed food and water aid.

WCK's Relief Team is working across the southeastern United States to support families impacted by Hurricane Helene. Prepositioning ahead of the storm, we provided meals to families in Florida and Georgia immediately after it passed. Our team followed the storm's path and is currently on the ground in North Carolina and Tennessee providing meals and water.

WCK's Relief Team is working across the southeastern United States to support families impacted by Hurricane Helene. Prepositioning ahead of the storm, we provided meals to families in Florida and Georgia immediately after it passed. Our team followed the storm's path and is currently on the ground in North Carolina after also supporting families in Tennessee.

Relief Team supports families impacted by Hurricane Helene

Despite the hurdles, WCK provided more than 885,000 meals through 143 distribution points reached by land, air, and water.

Supporting Families in Guerrero

Delivering meals in Guerrero, Mexico after Hurricane John

The bulk of meals we distribute across the enormous affected area come from our Field Kitchen in Acapulco. WCK teams built the kitchen in just three days. 

What’s even more remarkable than the swift opening is the work happening under its tented roof every day. WCK staff, volunteers, cleaners, maintenance specialists, equipment and food loaders, distribution team members, cooks, and logistical coordinators work in concert to create 20,000 meals a day for Acapulco and surrounding towns.

WCK's Relief Team rigorously scouted the areas affected by Hurricane John on Mexico's Pacific coast, identifying families in need of food and potable water. This challenging mission involved helicopters, boats, ladders, ATVs, and our dedicated volunteers. 

Whatever it takes...

Scouting and meal distribution methods in Acapulco after Hurricane John

Nearly a year after Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco, Hurricane John ravaged an even wider area, impacting the coast from Costa Chica to Costa Grande and reaching inland to the mountains of Chilpancingo de los Bravo—a stretch of more than 130 miles of mountainous coastline peppered with rural villages. 

The WCK team managed challenges posed by the terrain and landslides that impacted the region for weeks following the storm. Despite the hurdles, we provided more than 885,000 meals through 143 distribution points reached by land, air, and water. 

WCK’s past efforts in Acapulco informed our work in response to Hurricane John. The knowledge, connections, and friends made in the wake of Hurricane Otis positioned our teams to begin serving communities in need immediately after Hurricane John cleared Mexico’s rugged Pacific Coast.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team arrived in Guerrero just hours after Hurricane John made its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in later September. The storm had already hit the region just days earlier, returning to batter a long stretch of coastline. Our locally-led team used helicopters, boats, and vehicles to provide hundreds of thousands of meals to the hardest hit communities.

WCK mobilizes in Mexico after Hurricane John

Our impact

Climate-related responses like the flooding in Australia are intensifying and becoming more frequent. Our Climate Disaster Fund is our commitment to supporting communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

WCK on the frontlines of the climate crisis

Support our efforts to nourish communities impacted by flooding.

Severe flooding in Queensland left entire communities cut off, depriving families of reliable access to food, water, and other essentials. Ingham and surrounding areas remain largely isolated, with helicopters being the only means of transportation. WCK is using helicopters to reach these remote areas and is working closely with local partners to serve meals.

WCK completed our first food drop via helicopter from Townsville, delivering hundreds of sandwiches and meat pies—an Australian staple—to the isolated communities of Long Pocket and Abergowie. For one more week, WCK deployed helicopters carrying hot meals and sandwiches to multiple flood-affected areas, including Long Pocket, Abergowie, Macnade, Halifax, Cordelia, and Forrest Beach.

World Central Kitchen provided meals to communities impacted by severe flooding in northeastern Australia. Heavy rain and poor weather complicated logistics, but our Relief Team adapted to ensure food reached people in need.

World Central Kitchen provided meals to communities impacted by severe flooding in northeastern Australia. Heavy rain and poor weather complicate logistics, but our Relief Team adapted to ensure food reaches people in need.

WCK Responds to Devastating Floods in Australia

WCK's impact to date

In the third year of our Ukraine efforts, we are meeting the most pressing needs of families caught between the fighting in frontline communities. At the same time, our Emergency Response Team is working tirelessly to be at the sites of missile and drone attacks wherever they may happen, supporting impacted families and first responders.

3 years of #ChefsForUkraine

2023 in Ukraine

2022 in Ukraine

Yuliya has been with WCK since the start of the war, first working to coordinate meal production in Lviv and later, expanding operations across the country. Now, she is stepping into a leadership role with a focus on collaboration and strategic response planning.

Meet Yuliya, WCK's Ukraine Response Director

Every day, our teams prepare and deliver thousands of hot, nourishing meals to families living in areas under fire. These meals are often the only source of sustenance for people who have lost access to basic resources due to ongoing fighting. Explore the many ways our team supports Ukrainians need.

Emergency Response

Evacuation Support

Food & Vegetable Kits

Seeds of Hope

During key holidays like Easter or Christmas, WCK ensures families can celebrate with traditional meals, bringing warmth and a sense of normalcy during difficult times.

Spreading Joy

We partner with local restaurants and kitchens across Ukraine, empowering them to prepare meals for their own communities. This not only supports local economies but also helps sustain families in need.

Meet the restaurants feeding Ukrainians impacted by war

Meet the restaurants feeding Ukrainians impacted by the war

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“It’s painful… But we are thankful to the volunteers who support us with food and vegetables.” 
Halyna from Bilohirka lost everything when war reached her southern Ukrainian village. She spent weeks sheltering in a cellar. Her home was destroyed. Now, she and her daughter live in a restored section. WCK provides food to meet their needs and bring comfort. #ChefsForUkraine

Halyna

Oleksandr

Andriy

Stories from the ground

Since our #ChefsForUkraine efforts began, our teams have supported families on the frontlines and in communities liberated from Russian occupation. With support from restaurant partners and our committed Ukraine team, we continued to provide meals and food kits for families living through unthinkable circumstances. Watch the videos below to see how our teams are reaching communities under constant threat of attack.

Donetsk

Kherson

More about our efforts

WCK's team in Ukraine constantly adapts to meet the needs of impacted families. With the support of a dedicated team of more than 500 Ukrainians, we are reaching cities in active conflict zones, recently liberated towns, and communities hosting displaced families. We’re providing hot meals, fresh bread, potable water, food kits, traditional vegetables, and cooking facilities across Ukraine. Our dedication now, remains as steadfast as it was the day we served our first hot meals to evacuees.

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a large-scale military operation against Ukraine, triggering mass displacement and exposing civilians to relentless attacks. Millions of Ukrainians sought refuge within the country and abroad, facing immense challenges—including ongoing missile strikes, disrupted supply chains, and widespread food insecurity.

World Central Kitchen responded immediately, setting up at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland to serve hot meals. Our efforts quickly expanded across Europe and into Ukraine, where we now deliver millions of meals directly to communities in need.

In the early months of the invasion, WCK served millions of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as people remaining in the country. Now, we are supporting frontline communities in eastern and southern Ukraine where the need for food is urgent.

In the early months of the invasion, WCK served millions of fresh meals to Ukrainian families caught between the choice of fleeing their homes or facing the ravages of war. Now, we are focused on supporting frontline communities in eastern and southern Ukraine where the need for food has become more urgent than ever. We are supporting Ukrainians the best way we know how: with a freshly prepared plate of food.

WCK provides critical support to Ukrainians impacted by war

WCK’s team in Puerto Rico arrived on the island of Culebra the day after Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall. While assessing needs, we delivered food to a family who’s roof was destroyed by the storm.

Island of Culebra

One of our first stops after the storm passed was at a home for seniors in eastern Puerto Rico where we also provided support following Hurricane María. Our team met with Violeta, who manages the home and provided sandwiches and water for the residents left without electricity by the storm. Nearby, we stopped at a second housing complex that houses about 90 seniors who also lost utilities. The meals we provided were the first many people had eaten in more than a day.

Supporting seniors in eastern Puerto Rico

What started as preparing meals from a friend's restaurant five years ago shortly after José and arrived in San Juan, turned into mobilizing a network of chefs and more than 20,000 volunteers uniting under the #ChefsForPuertoRico banner to feed the island in a time of unprecedented need. Since then, this team has supported fellow Puerto Ricans following, hurricanes, an earthquake, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

#ChefsForPuertoRico

News from the ground

Ernesto brought heavy rainfall, flooding, and high winds to Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles, and the Virgin Islands before intensifying into a hurricane as it headed north towards Bermuda. 

The storm made landfall on Puerto Rico with winds just 4 miles per hour short of hurricane status. Governor Pedro Pierluisi activated the National Guard amid reports of people stranded in homes and cars surrounded by floodwaters. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were left without power after Ernesto wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico’s fragile electrical infrastructure. Eighty shelters were opened to support displaced families. WCK’s #ChefsForPuertoRico prepared sandwiches as Ernesto made landfall and began to distribute them in impacted communities as soon as it was safe to do so.

The storm then made direct landfall on Bermuda as a Category 1 Hurricane, bringing strong winds and a dangerous storm surge. At the height of the storm, more than 70% of residents were without electricity. WCK was able to reach out to Chef Corps members and restaurant partners we worked with after Hurricane Fiona in 2022 to start cooking as soon as possible. Those teams helped distribute meals to local churches and impacted neighborhoods.

Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall on Puerto Rico mid August and caused widespread power outages. WCK’s #ChefsForPuertoRico team—whose roots date back to our Hurricane María response—began to distribute food and water in impacted communities as soon as the storm passed.

Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall on Puerto Rico mid August and caused widespread power outages. WCK’s #ChefsForPuertoRico team—whose roots date back to our Hurricane María response—began to distribute food and water in impacted communities as soon as the storm passed. Three days later, the storm strengthened to a Category 1 Hurricane before hitting Bermuda. Many residents had no electricity and public transportation was shut down. WCK called on Chef Corps members and restaurant partners to help us support affected communities.

Storm Ernesto hits Puerto Rico and Bermuda

Tropical Storm Ernesto hits Puerto Rico

We partnered with local food trucks and restaurants to serve comforting quesadillas, refreshing salads topped with fresh fish, and homey rice and pork bowls. Manna International Food Truck’s menu also included beef and chicken gyros, with options for vegans and vegetarians too. Manna also has a food truck based in central Florida and teamed up with WCK during Hurricanes Ian and Idalia.

Manna International Food Truck

Big Bear Lake

Rancho Santa Margarita

While supporting people impacted by the Line Fire in the mountainous towns of Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear, two other fires in southern California—the Airport and Bridge fires—broke out and demanded immediate attention.

Our teams fanned out and secured local food trucks and restaurant partners to provide meals for evacuees staying at emergency shelters in addition to emergency personnel fighting the blazes. WCK-supported meals were available in areas including Phelan, Lake Elsinore, Lucerne Valley, Wrightwood, and Victorville. When evacuation orders were lifted, WCK strategically positioned teams to provide “welcome home” meals to families returning to their neighborhoods, many of which were still without power. 

WCK was also in San Bernardino County in March 2023 when a series of winter storms buried communities under several feet of snow. Inaccessible roads and damage to essential infrastructure forced families to remain in their homes and cut off the region's food supply. We worked closely with many of the same local authorities and previous partners in the county while providing meals for wildfire evacuees.

WCK’s Relief Team is in southern California to provide meals and cold drinks to people evacuating their homes in San Bernardino County as wildfires burned with minimal containment and families were forced to evacuate their homes.

WCK’s Relief Team was in southern California to provide meals and cold drinks to people evacuating their homes in San Bernardino County as wildfires burned with minimal containment and families were forced to leave their homes.

Multiple southern California wildfires force evacuations

In Głuchołazy, Poland, we partnered with Mikolaj, a chef affectionately known as The Soup Guy. He whipped up a vegetarian soup along with a bolognese soup with sausage, and the long lines and big smiles proved that a warm cup of soup really is a heartwarming meal. Mikolaj is a longtime WCK partner—he first cooked with us at the Polish-Ukrainian border in 2022, and he joined our teams in 2023 in the aftermath of earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. There, he cooked his signature soups and made sure to have Polish candies and chocolates for all the kids.

In Opava, Czech Republic, Peter from WCK’s food truck partner Fully Belly and his team cooked picadillo with basmati rice and Peruvian spices for families starting to recover from Storm Boris. Flooding in the town of Opava reached over 9 feet high inside many homes. “Most of the people don’t have time to cook themselves while they are focused on cleaning their homes,” said Peter.

Effects of Storm Boris—the slow moving, low pressure system hammering central Europe—were felt as rivers continued to rise. The storm brought more than a month’s worth of rain and triggered critical evacuation alerts across the region.

WCK teams arrived in Nysa, Poland and began assessing food needs with sandwiches in hand. Dangerous flooding forced bridges into the city to become impassable. We quickly expanded our response to Kłodzko and Głuchołazy, positioning two food trucks where nourishing meals are needed most. At the same time, WCK teams in the Czech Republic started scouting—they distributed sandwiches while determining where more support was needed. Communities like Krnov and Jesenik were heavily impacted, so we returned there with hot meals as soon as possible. Our team based in Madrid, Spain also deployed several WCK Food Trucks to other impacted areas in central Europe. 

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is on the ground in Poland and the Czech Republic to provide food and potable water as torrential rains in central Europe cause the worst flooding in decades.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team was on the ground in Poland and the Czech Republic to provide food and potable water as torrential rains in central Europe caused the worst flooding in decades. At least 24 people died and tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes across Poland, Austria, Romania, and the Czech Republic. Hundreds of thousands more were without power.

Food Relief Efforts

Relief Team mobilizes in South Texas amid catastrophic floods

WCK is supporting North and South Carolina communities impacted by wildfires

WCK mobilizes across southeastern US after tornado and storm outbreak

Wildfires rage across Southern California

Relief Team supports families impacted by Hurricane Helene

Supporting Palestinians displaced by conflict in Gaza & West Bank

Volunteer with WCK

Support our work

Supporting communities in times of crisis

Relief Team mobilizes in South Texas amid catastrophic floods

WCK is supporting North and South Carolina communities impacted by wildfires

WCK mobilizes across southeastern US after tornado and storm outbreak

Wildfires rage across Southern California

Relief Team supports families impacted by Hurricane Helene

Supporting Palestinians displaced by conflict in Gaza & West Bank

Volunteer with WCK

Support our work