Stories from the ground: WCK’s Latest #ChefsForAmerica Update
“Food is liberation, it’s freedom. Food is justice. Food is emancipation. Food is empowerment. Food is peace, food is love. Food is community.”– Chef Ameer, WCK Relief Team
In Newark, New Jersey, WCK has opened a new kitchen under one of our Chef Relief Team leads, Chef Ameer, to prepare thousands of restaurant-quality meals for the community we have been serving for several months now. At this kitchen, Chef Ameer has been able to hire more than 10 staff working to feed their neighbors.
As Minneapolis and Saint Paul saw massive protests following the murder of George Floyd, WCK’s Relief Team quickly mobilized to support the best way we can, through food. Working with our partner Frontline Foods, WCK activated two local restaurants, Afro Deli and Hot Indian to prepare nourishing meals for the community that has been impacted by both COVID-19 and the protests. With limited food options due to closures, our Relief Team is still providing fresh meals ensuring families remain supported. Our hearts are heavy for all of the Black lives that have been cut short by systemic racism and violence. We will continue to carry out our mission of using the power of food to heal and strengthen communities across the country.
WCK has continued to expand our Restaurants for the People program in Baltimore, Maryland. We are now partnering with more than 10 restaurants that are cooking nourishing meals to be distributed at over 25 locations–like senior housing complexes and community organizations– around the city. One of these restaurants is Breaking Bread in Pigtown, South Baltimore – one of the city’s many food deserts. Co-owner Kimberly Ellis told us, “We are a community business, not just a business in the community.” Breaking Bread uses local vendors as much as possible, along with fresh ingredients.
In Harbor East, Baltimore, WCK is working with Teavolve, which has been operating in the neighborhood for 15 years and is a community favorite. As the only Black restaurant owner in the area, Sunni Gilliam wanted to feed people in need in the community and connected with Kwame Rose, WCK’s local lead in Baltimore. The day we stopped by, they had prepared a delicious spaghetti with beef & chicken meatballs served with steamed broccoli.
WCK’s Relief Team on the Navajo Nation has continued to expand our efforts, preparing complete food kits full of pantry staples and fresh produce for families across the Reservation. So far, WCK has provided families with enough food for more than 470,000 meals. Working with local leaders and community services, we are able to deliver nutritionally balanced and culturally sensitive ingredient boxes that provide enough food for a family of four for seven days. Homes are spread very far apart and many families have been isolated with stay-at-home restrictions, so pairing food deliveries with regular check-ins from Community Health Representatives allows us to reach more people in need.
During one delivery, we met 85 year old Herbert Lewis. He was a bus driver for 19 years, as well as a paralegal. Herbert lives in Rincon Marquez, New Mexico with his children and grandchildren, though sadly he recently lost his son to Coronavirus. The nearest grocery store to Herbert’s home is an hour and a half drive on dirt roads, so we were glad to be able to provide a food kit for him and his family.
Since activating in March, WCK has served 15 million meals across America and in Spain. We are currently working with more than 2,000 restaurants to cook meals in their communities. This effort has resulted in $41 million put directly back into local restaurants to pay staff and keep people working. Without the support of so many of you from across the country and around the world, none of this would be possible; we are so grateful. To donate to our efforts, click here. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter here.
