ATVs, Boats, and Cooks: How WCK is Supporting Families in Mexico After Hurricane Erick
What happens when lightning strikes three times? In late June, Hurricane Erick, the first major hurricane of the 2025 hurricane season, made landfall in southern Mexico, bringing devastating winds and heavy rains to communities across Oaxaca and Guerrero.
To date, we have served almost 400,000 meals to families impacted by the storm. But this response isn’t where our story started.
WCK teams serve meals after Hurricane John (left) and Hurricane Otis (right)
WCK developed close community ties while supporting families in this part of Mexico following disasters the past three years–Hurricane Otis in 2023, Hurricane John in 2024, and now Hurricane Erick. We are uniquely positioned to help families rebuild as the global climate crisis causes recurring devastation. The relationships we have built in the region helped us scale up quickly, using every tool we have to serve communities in even the most remote areas.
In Apaculco, where Hurricanes Otis and John left thousands of families without food, water, and basic utilities, our teams maintained close ties with trusted partners. Within three hours of launching our response to Hurricane Erick, our restaurant partners began community outreach efforts across the city. There, they served sandwiches as they visited communities, returning in the following days to serve hot meals.
The same is true in Ometepec, Guerrero, where our partner Chef Danniel conducted community outreach and began cooking for his neighbors within 24 hours of Erick making landfall. His restaurant, Jardines Tabachines, worked with us during our response to Hurricane John. When WCK reached out to him, he was prepared to jump into action immediately.
“That’s what happens when we build meaningful relationships and share and explain our values,” says WCK Response Director Juan Camilo. “These restaurants become part of WCK, ready to act in the toughest moments.”
While partners like Danniel are cooking, some communities look to meet their needs in different ways. Our ground teams are also distributing meal kits to families who would prefer to cook for themselves. We are distributing 20,000 kits, each with ingredients for 25 meals, providing consistent access to essentials like beans and flour.
Community members are cooking for each other at a WCK Community Kitchen and Field Kitchen. In the remote town of Pinotepa Nacional, our Field Kitchen has scaled up to produce over 3,000 meals per day, just a week after opening its doors, supplemented by restaurants and community partners across the region.
Accessing remote areas was a unique challenge for our teams: Many of the most impacted towns are difficult to reach, with damaged infrastructure complicating travel. In some cases, our teams crossed lagoons and rivers to reach people in need. We are also using ATVs to traverse mountainous terrain. No matter the obstacle, we are finding ways to deliver meals where they are needed most.
As climate disasters increase in severity and frequency, WCK is committed to showing up to support impacted communities. “The reality is that [hurricane] season is just starting, and more might come,” said Juan Camilo, “But WCK is ready with teams deployed around the world to respond.”
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