Spreading holiday cheer around the globe
As communities worldwide celebrate Christmas, World Central Kitchen is spreading good tidings with our partners by distributing culturally relevant gifts, meals, and other treats. In Ukraine, Gaza, Asheville, and Valencia, our teams have been hard at work throughout the season, bringing light and joy to families in need. From candy and toys to warm meals and emotional support, we are proud to share in the spirit of giving and help brighten the holidays for those facing challenges around the world.
Ukraine
WCK is committed to bringing joy to children across Ukraine, especially in remote villages and temporary housing areas where festive activities are scarce. Over 8,000 gingerbread Christmas tree kits are being distributed in the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskyi, allowing families to come together and create special memories by decorating their own gingerbread trees. In some areas where security permits, WCK is organizing festive celebrations with costumed characters, games, and treats.
1,800 presents are being delivered to families near the frontlines in the Kherson region and to internally displaced people living in shelters in Kryvyi Rih.
Every year, I find myself even more excited about our Christmas programs. They grow bigger, more impactful, and more thoughtful. The presents are carefully chosen, and seeing the children’s excitement makes it all worthwhile.
Kateryna
WCK Regional Leader
Our restaurant partners are contributing to the holiday spirit with festive menus, including traditional dishes like Mimosa salad. Together our teams across the country captured the process of making this beloved dish, showcasing our partners’ efforts to spread cheer.
Lastly, WCK is proud to collaborate with the Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art and renowned artist Jenny Holzer to create special Christmas gifts including toys, stamps, and stickers, all featuring Holzer’s signature messages of hope, humor, and kindness. These thoughtful presents are being delivered to children’s homes in frontline regions through WCK’s aid points, offering moments of joy and solidarity during these challenging times.
Spain
Over the course of the month, we distributed 20,000 Christmas gift boxes, or lotes de Navidad, in the hardest-hit regions of Valencia. Lotes are typically filled with festive food and drinks. Ours also included cooking essentials like rice and oil, along with traditional sweets like Turrón de Alicante y Jijona – nougat with nuts – and other treats.
WCK delivers Christmas boxes in Valencia
This week, our teams have been busy hosting holiday events in Catarroja and Paiporta, with a special focus on bringing joy to children and families recovering from the flooding caused by DANA. Our food trucks were out in full force, serving up delicious meals and sweet treats, including caramel corn, churros, horchata, and ice cream. We also held live cooking demonstrations, showcasing the art of paella, where everyone had the chance to see the process and taste the delicious results. In Paiporta, we installed towering, beautifully decorated Christmas trees that became the centerpiece of the festivities, and of course, Santa made special appearances to spread even more holiday magic. It’s been a week of celebration, community, and hope in Valencia – all made possible through the collective effort of our teams and partners.
North Carolina
In Asheville, our team and volunteers worked tirelessly to assemble 2,100 specially curated Christmas meal boxes to deliver to local families on Christmas Eve. Partnering with Food Connection WNC and the Asheville Tennis Association, each box was packed with a thoughtful selection of holiday treats, including chocolate from Asheville Chocolate Company, croissants from French Broad Pantry, bread from Four Sisters Bakery, cinnamon rolls from GoGos, and yogurt-covered raisins, glazed maple pecans, tangerines, and a heartfelt holiday message and gift from WCK and Bear’s Smokehouse — the hub for our Asheville response.
On Christmas Eve, these boxes will be delivered alongside a special meal of roast pork loin and traditional holiday sides, ensuring that families in Asheville can enjoy a warm, festive meal during this season of giving.
Gaza
Our team in Gaza distributed 800 Christmas kits to Christian families across Gaza—300 in the North and 500 in the South. Each box is filled with cinnamon and other spices that hold special significance for local Christians during the holiday season. In addition, we’ve delivered thousands of pounds of fresh bananas, apples, and oranges to Northern Gaza, where most have not had access to fruit since the beginning of the war more than one year ago. These efforts are a small in scale compared to the vast hardships brought by war, but a meaningful way to bring some comfort and joy to those facing incredibly difficult circumstances.
WCK provides Christmas Boxes to Christians in Gaza
From our World Central Kitchen family to yours, wherever you are in the world, we wish you a joyous and peaceful holiday season! May this time of year bring warmth, hope, and a reminder of the power of community and compassion. Happy Holidays!
Help us bring warm meals and holiday joy to those in need around the world.
