Journey through Ukraine With WCK’s Chefs Wendy and Yuliia
Delivering millions of nourishing meals takes precision, adaptability, and care. Recently, WCK’s Chef Wendy joined Ukraine Culinary Lead Chef Yuliia on a journey across the country to meet the people who make that possible — cooks, warehouse teams, suppliers, and partners who ensure that meals reach communities every day.
Along the way, they found not only operational efficiency but also something deeper: a shared commitment to hospitality in the most challenging circumstances.
“It was about understanding the level of care and how the needs are evolving,” Wendy said. “Being able to visit the communities, talk to people, and spend time with Chef Yuliia really helped me see what day-to-day looks like for this team.”
Chef Wendy speaks with the WCK Ukraine team
The journey began in Bukovel, where the chefs drove across the country to Dnipro. That evening, a long travel day ended with an air alert. “Fourteen hours on the road, and then we spent the night in the shelter, in very uncomfortable chairs,” Wendy recalled with a smile. “It was a long night, but we were together — and it gave me a chance to see our emergency response in action. The speed at which the team sets up a distribution site is incredible.”
Another visit in Dnipro revealed an operation Wendy had never experienced before: meal distribution on evacuation trains. “The train station is a transition hub,” she said. “People are moving between regions, often for hours. The team has these small, personalized kits — not the big ten-kilo ones, but grab bags for people in transit. It makes sense.”
Yuliia explained that the team had recently introduced a new version of these kits. “Now we have two types — the standard one for adults with dehydrated food, biscuits, water, and tea, and another for children with fruit purée, bars, and salty crackers,” she said. “It’s a pilot, so we’ll see how it works, but the idea is to make sure everyone, even in motion, receives something comforting.”
Chef Yuliia and local partner Ryta
The trip continued southeast to Kryvyi Rih. “In Kryvyi Rih, we showed two models,” Yuliia said. “The ones in shelters — mostly used by women with children — are simple, home-style setups. The professional kitchens serve local families and elderly residents who come for their daily meals.”
In one kitchen, they met a local chef whose story captured the spirit of WCK’s work. “Her name is Ryta, and she’s from Asia originally,” said Yuliia. “She spent her childhood in Germany, then moved back to Asia and later to Ukraine. When we asked why she cooks so well, she said, ‘Because I didn’t have that when I was a child.’”
From there, they traveled north to Kyiv to meet one of WCK’s long-time partners, whose chefs prepare thousands of hot meals for distributions across the region. The visit provided an opportunity to review menu planning, observe service logistics, and share lessons from the field. “It was a great moment to connect with partners who’ve been part of this since the early days,” Wendy said. “You see how our systems — culinary, supply, logistics — all link together through people who care about quality.”
The trip concluded in Makariv, where WCK and local partners recently opened a new Community Kitchen for residents. There, the chefs joined the local team to cook, taste, and talk about how these kitchens are shaping community life.
“It’s not just about meals,” Yuliia said. “It’s about giving people a space to gather, to share, to feel normal again.”
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