Feedback is a Gift: The WCK Approach to Serving Communities in Ukraine
In order to make sure World Central Kitchen teams can serve meals to the people who need them most, we need to understand what’s happening on the ground—who is receiving support, what they need, and how those needs are changing.
Community Outreach Coordinator Anton supports the structure and strategy behind this work in Ukraine, helping ensure the team collects consistent and useful information to guide their decisions.
“Our main task is gathering reliable, real-time feedback from the people we support,” Anton explains. “That’s what helps us understand where help is most needed and how to deliver it better.”
In the field, WCK team members often arrive unannounced to observe how food is being distributed and whether it’s reaching those who need it most. Through regular connections with our communities, they gather feedback on the quality of the food, as well as the conditions people are living in. This includes whether they have access to clean water, electricity, shops, or support from other organizations.
“There are a lot of people in Ukraine who may want or need support,” Anton says. “But through community outreach, we can find the people who need it most. That’s the value of this work—it helps us be more precise, more fair, and more effective.”
He notes that the community outreach approach has grown significantly since WCK’s early days in Ukraine.
“At first, our job was to serve as the eyes of the leadership team on the ground. Now our role is broader and more structured. We operate a call center, follow clear humanitarian criteria, and help identify the conditions in each community, including when aid is no longer needed, or when new support should begin.”
This kind of insight helps our teams make decisions, from launching hot meal services in frontline areas to scaling food kit deliveries in towns where supply chains have broken down.
“We work with real data, direct from the field. That’s what allows WCK to stay grounded and responsive. It’s how we make sure our help reaches the people who truly need it.”
Hear from our team about our community outreach efforts:
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