Extended Impact in Valencia: Supporting Recovery After DANA Flooding
In response to the devastating DANA floods in Spain in 2024, World Central Kitchen and José Andrés’ Longer Tables Fund have joined forces to launch an emergency grant initiative supporting food-related small businesses affected by the disaster.
Made possible through philanthropic funding from the Longer Tables Fund and carried out via World Central Kitchen’s trusted local response efforts, the program delivers rapid relief to help food entrepreneurs recover and rebuild.
The collaboration reflects the organizations’ complementary roles—LTF as a catalytic funder and WCK as an experienced, on-the-ground implementer—working together to serve communities in crisis.
WCK responded to DANA in Valencia immediately, providing more than 6.2 million meals in just over two months on the ground. Now, six months later, WCK and the Longer Tables Fund remain dedicated to longer term recovery efforts by rolling out more than $1.2 million in DANA Recovery Grants.
These grants support 23 small food businesses across Paiporta, Catarroja, Alfafar, Aldaia, Picanya, and Massanassa, with greengrocers, bakeries and pastry shops, fishmongers, butcher shops, cafés, and other small food and craft businesses as beneficiaries.
Julia Cabrera Cuéllar, owner of Frutería Mercofrú, was rescued by a neighbor after DANA’s rushing waters’ drew her out of her shop. “I thought I would never be able to reopen, everything was lost. But thanks to being part of the program, I’ve been able to recover my dream and reopen my fruit shop, which is my livelihood,” she said.
The DANA Recovery Grants are also aimed at helping entire agricultural sectors of Valencia. Amparo Aleixandre, Secretaria General de la Comunidad, explains how the funding will be used to support the repair and replacement of nets for commercial fishing. “The eel fishing points in l’Albufera were devastated by the DANA. We are deeply grateful for this program, as it will allow us to revive fishing activity in l’Albufera.”
Elena Medina Gil, DANA Grants Coordinator at World Central Kitchen, is overseeing the program. “We are thrilled to see that more than half of the businesses we are supporting have been able to reopen and are once again playing a vital role in their communities.”
This week, founder José Andrés explained how World Central Kitchen works to keep investments local, especially in times of disaster. “If you can buy local…you channel money into the local economies at the moment they need the money,” he said on NBC’s Today Show in the US. These new grants extend our initial support to ensure steady and lasting recovery for Valencia.
To date, more than 60 percent of the businesses WCK is supporting through the DANA Grants Program have reopened. The grants are expected to provide jobs for 3,000 Spaniards, many of whom were directly impacted by DANA.
