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WCK responded in southern Brazil during historic flooding

Chefs For Brazil
Porto Alegre, Brazil | Active from May – July 2024
World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team was in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul providing food and water to communities impacted by some of the worst-ever flooding to hit the region.

Destruction caused by floodwaters killed at least 150 people and displaced more than 500,000. An estimated 77,000 people evacuated and were living in shelters across the region and were in need of support.

WCK’s teams built a fully equipped Relief Kitchen in Porto Alegre that included an outdoor barbecue pit. With it, our teams cooked local comfort food for families reeling from the devastating floods and working to recover.

This was WCK’s fourth time responding to flooding in Brazil after leading three other efforts there in 2022. One of the biggest responses was in the state of Bahia, where our team served more than 64,000 meals after intense rainfall led to flooding that broke dams, submerged towns, and displaced tens of thousands of people.

By the numbers

735,950+

Meals Served

Including hot meals, sandwiches, and food kits.

104

Recipient Groups

Including individual communities, shelters, and first responders.

105,000+

Pounds of Product

Including water, cassava flour, and dry goods distributed.

WCK builds Relief Kitchen in Brazil

WCK teams established a Relief Kitchen in Porto Alegre and partnered with local NGOs and restaurants to ensure meals reach all families in need.

Local Superhero: Ricardo

WCK’s team in Brazil met Ricardo, a local truck driver, while assessing food needs in communities around Porto Alegre. Roads in the region are difficult to traverse so Ricardo volunteered his truck to help us reach families in the area. We transferred meals from our cars onto his truck and delivered food to people in Vila Celso.

Local Partner: Mayday Brasil

Access to flooded communities surrounding Porto Alegre remains challenging. In the early days of our response, WCK worked alongside Mayday Brasil, a local search and rescue NGO, to ensure we safely reached families in need. The Mayday team was an invaluable source of information as we reached the most heavily impacted towns in the region.

Help us continue feeding families.

Latest from the ground

  • Each member of WCK’s #ChefsForBrazil team has an important role in navigating complex circumstances and making sure we are able to provide nourishing meals to residents affected by severe flooding. Join members of our Relief Team this Thursday to learn how we are able to support communities, like Rio Grande do Sul, impacted by disasters worldwide.

    Twitter | 6/24/2024
  • WCK’s Felipe checks in from Brazil 🎥 Our teams across Rio Grande do Sul are providing food kits to families who are returning home after flooding devastated their communities. Each kit includes more than 50 pounds of kitchen staples like rice, oil, beans, and pasta. With this reliable source of food, people are able to focus on the arduous task of cleaning flooded homes.

    Twitter | 6/22/2024
  • WCK’s team in southern Brazil is providing food kits to families in communities impacted by flooding in recent weeks. Each kit includes more than 50 pounds of local staples like rice, beans, and flour—enough food for 30 days. These kits guarantee families have reliable access to food as recovery efforts continue.

    Twitter | 6/21/2024