Latest from the field: #ChefsForAmerica Week 7 Update
After seven weeks of getting nourishing meals to many of the hardest hit communities during the COVID-19 outbreak, WCK has served more than 4.5 million fresh meals in 200 cities across more than 30 American states & territories and Spain.
In the greater New York City area, our Relief Team has expanded to provide nearly 100,000 meals each day for those in need. In Los Angeles, where schools remain closed, we continue to serve students with LAUSD and to provide meals to frontline healthcare workers and now thousands of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Augusta, Georgia has been hit hard by the economic effects of COVID-19. Under the direction of Ackeem Evans, a member of the Peace Corps who joined WCK for our response in Albania last year, we are working with Golden Harvest Food Bank to serve 25,000 meals to families in need every week.
This week, WCK’s team began serving nourishing meals on the Big Island of Hawaii! Chef Ric, who joined WCK in Japan earlier this year, is working with a local restaurant to provide take-home meals for students from Waikoloa School.
Led by WCK’s longtime friend Robert Egger, we have activated in Santa Fe, New Mexico. WCK is working alongside amazing young adults from YouthWorks, an organization working with at-risk youth through education, employment training, and job placement programs. Together, we are preparing and serving nutritious meals to thousands of children in the community.
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we have teamed up with The Tandem, a restaurant-turned-community collective that has partnered with over 20 area eateries in the past six weeks. While keeping workers employed, The Tandem and their partners are getting fresh meals to some of the hardest hit communities in Milwaukee. WCK is proud to have joined up to help them keep cooking!
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, WCK is working alongside the Minneapolis Indian American Center to expand their reach and serve more Native American elders in need of fresh meals. The team in the kitchen is purchasing a majority of ingredients from Native American businesses to keep money in the local economy. These ingredients have included bison, venison, nopales, and Minnesota hand-harvested wild rice.
WCK’s team in Spain continues to expand efforts across the country. Now operating in 10 cities, we are working with local food banks and the Red Cross to identify those most in need and get fresh meals to them directly.
