Staff Spotlight: Yuliya Stefanyuk
Meet WCK’s new Ukrainian Response Director, Yuliya Stefanyuk, leading the next phase of our operations.
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. As the war progressed, she played a crucial role in establishing food distribution networks, securing partnerships, and ensuring meals reached people in need, even in the hardest-hit areas. Now, she is stepping into a leadership role with a focus on collaboration and strategic response planning.
We sat down with Yuliya to discuss her journey with WCK, the evolving needs in Ukraine, and her vision for the future.
How did your work with WCK begin, and how has your role changed over the past three years?
“My journey with WCK started with a phone call in late February 2022. The team was looking for restaurant partners in Lviv who could cook for the massive influx of internally displaced people. I was running a catering business at the time, and I remember walking through the cold, snowy city that was under an air raid alert. When I got the call, I couldn’t have imagined how much things would change.”
Within days, WCK was on the ground, and Yuliya’s role quickly expanded. She coordinated hot meals from Restaurant Company FEST to 20 distribution points, secured supply chains to regional hubs, and worked with local authorities to scale up food distribution.
“In the first two months, we grew to over 500 restaurant partners in Ukraine. In places like Kharkiv, where people were sheltering in metro stations, we delivered meals directly into underground train cars twice a day.
My favorite dish from our entire response is a traditional Transcarpathian meal called bograch (a rich, spicy meat soup). We cooked it at Lviv’s train station 24 hours a day, continuously feeding people fleeing from the war. In six months, we prepared over one million servings. Even Angelina Jolie tasted it when she visited Lviv at the end of April 2022.
At the same time, we realized that Ukraine’s entire internal food supply chain was collapsing. WCK started bringing in food shipments—at first in small vans, then trucks, and eventually entire trainloads.”
By mid-2022, the Ukrainian team had established food warehouses across the country. “That infrastructure allowed us to move food quickly wherever it was needed most.”
What does it mean to you to be WCK’s Ukrainian Response Director?
“It’s a huge responsibility. I’m still learning–my priority is to understand how I can best support both the Ukrainian team and the wider WCK mission. I take this role very seriously —it’s about the safety and well-being of our teams and the people we serve.”
How did your previous experience prepare you for this role?
Before the war, Yuliya was an operational partner in a catering business. “That experience shaped me in so many ways. I chose the food industry because I love feeding people. Catering teaches you to be flexible, to adapt to unpredictable, challenging situations—whether it’s setting up a kitchen in the middle of a forest for 3,000 guests or adjusting to last-minute changes at an event.”
She also built valuable connections. “Because I worked with clients from government officials to business leaders, when the war started, I knew exactly who to call to coordinate food aid.”
Yuliya shared a treasured family recipe for Paska, which has been passed down through generations, for The World Central Kitchen Cookbook.
We listen, we adapt, and we act quickly. Even when mistakes happen, we learn from them and improve. And most importantly, we never lose sight of the individuals behind the numbers.
Yuliya Stefanyuk
WCK Response Director, Ukraine
What do you see as WCK’s biggest achievement in Ukraine so far?
“Our ability to provide large-scale, effective aid while staying deeply connected to the people we serve. We listen, we adapt, and we act quickly. Even when mistakes happen, we learn from them and improve. And most importantly, we never lose sight of the individuals behind the numbers.”
What keeps you motivated?
“The war itself is, unfortunately, a major motivator. I want it to end. And our work—ensuring people have food, helping them survive—feels like part of that fight. But beyond that, it’s the people I work with, the partners on the ground, and the Ukrainians who support each other despite everything.”
“I’m constantly inspired by how WCK doesn’t just help in Ukraine but supports communities in crisis around the world. What’s incredible is that anyone can be part of this effort—whether by volunteering, donating, or simply spreading the word. It’s so simple to do good, and every contribution matters.”
“I’ve learned that, when you do good, it always comes back to you. I’ve seen it time and time again—acts of kindness create ripples that spread further than we can imagine.”
Support Yuliya and WCK’s efforts in Ukraine.
