Thousands of families fled Afghanistan in late August and arrived at various airports around the world, including in Washington, DC, Spain, and Qatar. In the DC area, WCK partnered with local restaurants to provide nourishing, culturally appropriate dishes for the new arrivals, serving the fresh meals as soon as people got through Customs at Dulles Airport. Most of the refugees had been traveling for days, and some hadn’t had a meal in many hours. Local partners helped us provide meals from the early morning to late at night—some restaurants are run by Afghan refugees themselves who fled during earlier conflicts.
In Spain, WCK’s Chef Nadia, who grew up in Afghanistan before seeking refuge in Spain, led our kitchen to prepare Afghan meals for families arriving in Rota and Madrid. Partnering with Qatar Charity and Ard Canaan Restaurant, we also served meals to refugees waiting for flights to the US to resume in Doha, Qatar.
WCK then worked with local partners to determine how we can best support families resettling in the US. Beginning in Phoenix, Arizona, and later expanding to Colorado, Tennessee, and Washington, we partnered with local restaurants to provide thousands of meals to families temporarily staying in hotels.
Sheesh Grill
This is Sam, owner of Sheesh Grill, and his wife Tatiana, who’s helping out at the restaurant. Sam was a refugee from Afghanistan himself – he fled as a child with his family in the 1980s during the war with the Soviets, and made it to the US in 1989. Sam and Tatiana met in Moscow in the 1990s when Sam lived there. She can see the toll this moment is taking on him and everyone else in the Afghan community. “The only way to heal is to help,” Tatiana told WCK.
Kabobi by the Helmand
Khaleeq owns Kabobi by the Helmand.“It means so much to be serving these meals. I was once a refugee in the 1980s, so to give them a meal from the heart, after they’ve been traveling for days – to finally get a meal that reminds them of what they ate at home before they left – it tells them that there’s someone here who understands them.”
Lebanese Taverna
This is Homayon and Grace. Grace’s family owns Lebanese Taverna – her parents started the group when Grace was 4 years old, so she’s spent nearly her entire life in and around the restaurants.“We both left countries in turmoil, we were both received here in the States, and both got help from people to get started. It puts things in perspective. Seeing the little kids … I was 2 when I came here, we left on a cargo ship in the middle of the night, so it’s like I’m seeing a 2-year old Grace.”
By the numbers
Meals Served
Total restaurant partners
