WCK’s multi-country response to Hurricane Beryl
Hurricane Beryl left a path of destruction from the Caribbean to the northeastern United States in early July, destroying thousands of homes in five different countries. Having prepositioned ahead of the storm, World Central Kitchen’s teams arrived in the most impacted areas within hours after Beryl’s passing. In the last week, we have worked to solidify our delivery routes to islands spread across the Caribbean, and focused on building partnerships with local restaurants and food trucks to help meet the needs of communities spread across a large geographic region. We have served nearly 60,000 meals to families in Venezuela, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Jamaica, and Texas. Our teams are continually adapting our efforts to ensure meals get to families in need.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
A chain of islands off the northern coast of South America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) had multiple islands that were heavily damaged by the hurricane. Though our teams have used boats a few times to get to the different locations, the easiest and fastest way is to fly either in a helicopter or small plane.
Left: WCK’s Kyle tosses a case of water to Captain Jason. Right: sandwiches in the plane headed for SVG islands.
Captain Jason of Mustique Airways has been flying our meals and WCK team members from island to island. Not only has he been piloting the plane, he personally helps load and unload the meals and water in each destination to ensure we reach communities in need as quickly as possible. He is one of many people going above and beyond to help our teams get aid to impacted areas.
We have also been assisted by local police, who have helped load their own boats with sandwiches and water to take to the small island of Mayreau. The weather has remained somewhat unpredictable, with some days bright and sunny, and others windy and rainy. That hasn’t slowed our team down. We are getting supplies to the islands by boats and planes regardless of weather conditions.
Left: Police boat taking WCK staff and meals to Mayreau. Right: WCK teams unloading in a rainstorm.
Locals have been doing everything they can to support their communities, like Glendin, a resident of Canouan. He and his team started cooking whatever ingredients they could find as soon as the storm passed to provide meals to people who were impacted. They have been cooking with delicious and nourishing ingredients like coconut, pumpkin, plantain, and breadfruit along with greens and herbs. However, some supplemental items are not available on the island. WCK is providing ingredients and supplies so Glendin and his team can cook 1,000 comforting meals daily for neighbors impacted by the storm.
Left: WCK’s Dani and Glendin share a hug. Right: The kitchen team portioning out hot meals.
Grenada
In Grenada and SVG, it is estimated that 20,000 people have been made homeless by Hurricane Beryl. In both countries, local chefs and cooks have stepped up to help their communities. In Grenada, WCK Chef Corps member Belinda Bishop has been a powerhouse, working tirelessly every day to make sure her fellow Grenadians have delicious meals to eat.
In the first hours and days after Beryl made landfall, Chef Belinda and her team helped make sandwiches on the island of Grenada to send to their sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. She also traveled with our teams to rural parts of northern Grenada to ensure we reached isolated communities with hot meals—like her delicious pan-fried mahi mahi with vegetables.
Chef Belinda has been helping WCK’s teams across Grenada.
With Chef Belinda’s help, we sent several boats loaded with kitchen supplies to Carricou, one of the islands hit hardest. The boats carried pots, burners, coolers filled with frozen ingredients, bags of rice and beans, fresh produce, and electrical equipment for a Starlink setup to establish connectivity. Our teams and Chef Belinda arrived at Carriacou to set up a high-capacity Field Kitchen to begin cooking thousands of meals for the island. Chef Belinda is a testament to the passion, motivation, and power of WCK’s Chef Corps—our global network of culinary leaders who come together to aid communities in the aftermath of disasters.
Jamaica
In Jamaica, locals have worked hard to support our efforts to distribute aid. “From the moment we arrived at Mitchell Town, the community suggested the Community Center as the perfect spot for distributing meals,” said Alessia, WCK’s Community Outreach Lead in Jamaica. “As soon as we got there, everyone sprang into action: cleaning the space, arranging tables and chairs, hanging our banners, and even cutting the grass. The community transformed the center into a welcoming space for everyone to access food and water.” In addition to serving from the Community Center, our teams delivered food and water door to door to people who couldn’t leave their homes.
In Jamaica, we are working shoulder to shoulder with local community kitchens, like the team at Gayle’s Landing in Treasure Beach. The team there has been using the kitchen and space in the small resort to serve hundreds of people hot meals each day. All of the restaurants, community kitchens, and chefs we are working with on the island are cooking Jamaican favorites like jerk chicken, oxtail stew, and patties.
“Jamaican patties are a vital part of the country’s culinary heritage and daily meals,” explained Alessia. “Our teams continue to distribute patties during our scouting missions to engage with the community. Our patties come from RP Juicy Patties, featuring a delicious crust made of flour and filled with various options, including chicken, beef, and plant-based fillings for people who do not eat meat.” In one community, a group of kids compared our teams to Santa Claus bringing toys on Christmas Day when they found out we had patties with us.
Venezuela
We have been supporting families in Venezuela who were displaced after Hurricane Beryl caused widespread flooding in the state of Sucre. An estimated 25,000 people were impacted when hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands more damaged. We are working with longtime partners in the country who also supported our 2022 response to Hurricane Julia.
Maria eating a WCK-provided meal.
“At 2 am the river broke its banks,” said Maria, a resident of the Trincheras neighborhood. “It was chaotic, there was screaming and shouting. People were rescuing neighbors caught in the flooding.” We provided Maria and her neighbors with meals and water, and our teams in the region continue to scout and make sure we are finding everyone in need of aid.
Texas
Small coastal communities in Texas took the brunt of Hurricane Beryl’s impact on the continental US. The storm caused damage to homes and infrastructure, and many people still do not have power. Our teams in the region have been delivering meals directly to residents who are working hard to recover. In Surfside, Racheal’s home was flipped onto its side by the storm and ensuing flooding. Thankfully, she and her dogs—Peter and Piper—were unharmed, and we were able to get Racheal a comfort meal while she assessed the damage.
Left: Texas state flag torn by the hurricane. Right: Racheal with her dogs in front of their flipped home.
Local food trucks have been integral to our response in Texas, and they have been cooking up comforting local favorites. Seoulside Wings and Blk Mkt Birria both worked with WCK during our response to the Great Texas Freeze in 2021, and they are partnering with us again. Jane from Seoulside Wings made her famous Korean crunchy wings with sides of Banchan potato salad and Korean spinach, while Blk Mkt Birria served up their popular barbacoa tacos. Meanwhile, Oscar of the Churrasco food truck has been dishing up rice with vegetables and grilled chicken, smothered in fresh chimichurri sauce.
Help us continue supporting families impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
