On his visit to Poland amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden met refugees and as well as World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder José Andrés. Biden lauded Andrés on Twitter to praise WCK, which has provided more than 4 million meals to Ukrainian refugees.
“In times of crisis, we often see the best in humanity. I want to thank my friend Chef José Andrés, his team at World Central Kitchen, and everyone on the ground for all they’re doing to support Ukrainian refugees,” Biden tweeted.
A clip featuring Biden’s interaction with Andrés and the Ukrainian refugees was also shared. Talking about WCK, Andrés is heard saying in the video, “We landed in the Ukrainian conflict right in the town of Marinka within 24 hours of the Russian attack. We began feeding right in Marinka”.
“We began partnering with the other NGOs, with food trucks, with local restaurants and businesses, just trying to make sure that instead of everybody working on their own, we work as We The People. And that’s why we are here. This is what we have been doing here, that’s what I’ve been seeing here. And if anything, I am leaving prouder of who we are as the people of the world,” he added.
Watch the video:
In times of crisis, we often see the best in humanity. I want to thank my friend Chef José Andrés, his team at World Central Kitchen, and everyone on the ground for all they’re doing to support Ukrainian refugees. pic.twitter.com/Kw68Mv7rcu
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 27, 2022
See reactions:
It’s time for Chef José Andrés to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize again.
— Hey Nav – Major, USAF, Retired (@HeyNav135) March 27, 2022
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THIS is what heroes look like . . .Thank you World Central Kitchen,
Thank you Chef José Andrés💙 🇺🇦 🙏 🇺🇦 💛 pic.twitter.com/P1zyauyW05
— Marko Silberhand (@MarkoSilberhand) March 27, 2022
This man is an angel, I have donated many times to the World Central Kitchen. He is always there making food for people who have been affected by natural or human-made disasters no matter where they are in the world.
— Helene Constantinide🌊 (@hconstan) March 27, 2022
He’s a great humanitarian, I like to refer to him as the Jimmy Carter of food for the needy
— Xola (@Xola81201697) March 28, 2022
Twitter accounts of Andrés and World Central Kitchen are replete with photos and videos of “food fighters” preparing food and Ukrainian people eating the burgers, sausages, fruits, coffee, meals, pastries served to them. The “food fighters” are also seen preparing food inside bomb shelters amid the looming sound of sirens.
Meet Olga, a TV producer by trade who joined WCK in the first days of the war to lead our food warehouses in Lviv. She fled Kyiv, leaving friends she misses constantly. When asked why she stays, Olga says, “Because it means tomorrow someone will be able to eat.” #ChefsForUkraine pic.twitter.com/z9TCaeIDA0
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 27, 2022
Every morning in Warsaw, WCK partner Ciacho Shop makes hot, fresh donuts 🍩 for families coming to the city’s large stadium. As people wait here to fill out their paperwork to live & work in Poland, we also have teams serving burgers, sausages, fruit & more. #ChefsForUkraine pic.twitter.com/p7g2upkpxW
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 27, 2022
Spoke to @natemook and our @WCKitchen team in Lviv tonight…Everyone is doing well & we got all meals delivered well before the attacks. We have strict security protocols to keep everyone safe. Grateful to all of them & our amazing partners across Ukraine! #ChefsForUkraine 🇺🇦 https://t.co/PdLlFYo6k3
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) March 26, 2022
Reporting from the train station in Warsaw! This is our @WCKitchen dining tent where we are serving Ukrainians as they arrive from the Polish border…What you see here is real—the need is huge…Right now we are delivering food to over 1,000 different places! #ChefsForUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/msZAFcoCFY
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) March 26, 2022
“Right now, we are in a bomb shelter. This is the 5th air raid alert we’ve had in 24 hours. You feel this danger. This affects our cooking—we must be adaptable. To avoid delays, we mobilize rapidly and cook in short, 30-minute stints.”
Chef Yurii, Lviv#ChefsForUkraine pic.twitter.com/ta4W8ll3oR
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 25, 2022
Andrés told CNN that WCK is distributing more than 2,90,000 meals every day at more than 1,000 locations in six countries.“Inside Ukraine, we are in 21 cities. Obviously, Lviv has become our headquarters inside Ukraine,” he said. “But we are delivering food every day to places like Odesa, Kyiv and other places,” he added.
“I think everyone is talking about men and women defending Ukraine. But there are other people fighting the war in other ways. That’s why I call them food fighters. We see restaurants. We see food people in many of these cities, doing what they can to feed women, children and others. They are very often in bunkers, trying to escape from the bombing that arrives,” he further said.
In December last year, members of WCK helped people ravaged by tornadoes in Kentucky, US. Established in 2010, WCK has been at the forefront of providing relief amid natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the 2018 Kilauea volcano eruption, and during the coronavirus pandemic.
