Chef Corps Spotlight: Kelsey Barnard Clark
When tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Florida at the beginning of January, Chef Corps member Kelsey Barndard Clark immediately stepped up to help her neighbors. She resides in Dothan, Alabama just 20 minutes up the road from Cottonwood. She remembers the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in 2018 and what it’s like not to have power or to be able to use the roads.
“I have experienced a lot of hurricanes and tornadoes and it is the little things right after it happens that makes the biggest difference,” Kelsey says. “For me, food is a way that brings people together. A way to show love and that you care about someone is to feed them. It’s a lot more powerful than fueling you and feeding you.”
The first thing her team at KBC prepared for people in Cottonwood is pimiento cheese sandwiches. “Pimiento cheese is obviously a very big Southern staple,” Kelsey explains. “It’s just comfort food for us down here. It’s like the grilled cheese of the South. It’s great to give people some food while they are working hard to put all the pieces back together.”
Chef Kelsey also helped WCK make critical connections on the ground and sent several of her employees to serve as volunteers.
WCK’s Chef Corps is a global network of culinary leaders who champion World Central Kitchen’s work providing fresh meals following crises.
