Petrópolis is a mountain town above Rio de Janeiro that was unrecognizable—floods and mudslides inundated and destroyed homes and historic buildings. Dozens of people lost their lives, and search and rescue teams searched for survivors amongst the piles of rubble that covered much of the city.
Working with local organizations and supporting restaurants in the affected region, WCK served meals to first responders and displaced families. Outside of Petrópolis, the team delivered hot meals to regions cut off from aid and in great need of support, including in Morin, Caxambu, and Serra Alta.
Every year, Brazil experiences a rainy season, however, recent weather has been more extreme and is impacting the entire country—deadly floods and landslides also hit northeast Brazil and Sao Paulo state, and heavy rainfall threatened harvests in the central western region.
Casarão Community Kitchen
Casarão Community Kitchen
Teaming up with a school that is serving as a support center for affected families, WCK is working with volunteers from a local church to cook thousands of daily meals. Volunteers, some who have lost loved ones and their homes, arrive early in the morning to prepare hot meals for emergency crews and isolated families up in the mountains.
Elias
Elias
“Solidarity at this moment is very important. I started distributing food baskets today and now I will distribute the warm meals from WCK with my motorcycle.”Destruction from the floods has made it difficult to drive into mountains regions, so Elias is helping WCK transport meals from the Casarão Community Kitchen to isolated communities.
Downtown Petropólis
Downtown Petropólis
The biggest landslide occurred in downtown Petropólis where the community is still without power or water, and rescue teams are working around the clock. To support, WCK has set up a Relief Food Truck that is distributing 1,500 daily restaurant meals to displaced families, firefighters, and volunteers helping clean up the damage.
