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
Meals Served
Including hot meals, sandwiches, and food kits.
Recipient Groups
Including individual communities, shelters, and first responders.
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
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Meet Elizabeth, a humanitarian with more than 30 years of experience who has been vital in helping the WCK team understand local culture and cuisine so we can best support the Rio Grande do Sul community. Here she is with today’s meal of Carne de Panela—delicious slow-cooked beef with plenty of veggies and rice!
