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    Deadliest blizzard in decades hits Buffalo

    #ChefsForBuffalo
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    Buffalo, New York | Active from December 2022 – January 2023
    Hurricane-force winds, heavy snow, and sub-zero temperatures combined to leave Buffalo buried under snow, killing more than 35 people and making access to food extremely challenging. WCK’s Relief Team is working alongside local chefs to provide hot, nourishing meals to families unable to cook or purchase food while stores were shut and roads unsafe to travel.

    More than 35 deaths were reported in the greater Buffalo area following one of the deadliest winter storms to ever hit the region. The storm initially hit Buffalo as heavy rainfall on December 23. Soon after, Arctic air turned the rain into intense snowfall that combined with hurricane-force winds to leave parts of the city covered under several feet of snow. The storm was part of a weather system that caused advisories across more than half of the country.     

    Conditions forced grocery stores across Buffalo to shut down for several days. Stores that quickly reopened were understaffed and overwhelmed by demand. Additionally, impassable roads and driving bans hampered food delivery—trucks were unable to enter the city.  

    WCK’s Relief Team mobilized quickly and worked alongside Chef Darian Bryan—a local Chef Corps member—to ensure warm meals reached families in impacted neighborhoods. Chef Darian also answered the call to support his neighbors during WCK’s response to the deadly, racially-motivated shooting at Tops Market in May 2022.   

    8,400

    hot meals served

    177

    recipient locations

    #ChefsForBuffalo

    Meet Chef Darian

    Chef Corps member Darian Bryan jumped to action the moment he got the call that WCK was heading to Buffalo following the storm. He kicked off night one of the operation with a warming and hearty gumbo. Darian is no stranger to feeding his neighbors alongside WCK. After the deadly, racially-motivated shooting at Tops Market in May 2022, Chef Darian provided thousands of hot meals while the store remained closed. The Jamaican chef moved to the US in 2012 and calls Buffalo home. He operates The Plating Society—a full-service hospitality company offering private dining experiences, take out, meal prep, cooking classes, pop-up dinners, and catering. 

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    • The winter storm in Buffalo has brought the city to a standstill with many vulnerable residents unable to access food. WCK is partnering with Chef Darian Bryan to prepare hundreds of meals tonight—as always, we’ll use whatever means necessary for safe delivery! #ChefsForBuffalo

      Twitter | 12/28/2022

    • This weekend is the re-opening of the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo. In 2 months since the horrific shooting, WCK served 63,000 meals, 100,000 lbs of produce & partnered with 30 local vendors. We will keep supporting African Heritage Food Co-Op in the weeks ahead. #ChefsForBuffalo

      Twitter | 7/16/2022