World Central Kitchen

Familiar meals, strong local partnerships, and people showing up for their neighbors—that’s what WCK’s Panama efforts were all about. Local restaurants and Chef Corps members were at the heart of the response, turning what they do every day into a way to care for their communities. They sourced local ingredients to prepare traditional, comforting meals to distribute to families in need, even while some were also rebuilding their own kitchens. In the month after the earthquake, we served more than 61,000 hot meals in affected communities. That’s what the power of local knowledge, connections, and trust looks like. #ChefsForPanama

Comidas familiares, fuertes alianzas locales y gente apoyando a sus vecinos: de eso se trató el trabajo de WCK en Panamá. Los restaurantes locales y los miembros del Chef Corps fueron el corazón de la respuesta, y convirtieron lo que hacen cada día en una forma de cuidar a sus comunidades. Se abastecieron de ingredientes locales para preparar comidas tradicionales y reconfortantes que llegaron a las familias que más lo necesitaban, incluso mientras algunos reconstruían sus propias cocinas. En el mes desde el terremoto, servimos más de 61,000 comidas calientes en las comunidades afectadas. Así es el poder de lo local: conocimiento, conexiones y confianza. #ChefsForPanama

WCK and our local partner Good News for Africa are working together in Kalehe, Democratic Republic of the Congo to distribute fresh meals to schools, hospitals, and orphanages across the community. We’re sourcing local ingredients like sambaza—small freshwater fish—and produce to ensure the meals we serve are rooted in local traditions and packed with familiar flavors. As families navigate displacement and the ongoing Ebola outbreak, we’re making sure they have reliable access to the meals they need. #ChefsForDRC

See where your support made a difference and helped WCK teams move quickly around the world this week 🌎 (1/3)

When the Russian strike hit, Svitlana’s first thought was of her cat, home alone in their Chernihiv apartment. She hurried home from work and found him inside, frightened but thankfully unhurt. Almost all her windows were shattered, and shrapnel left marks across the walls. Svitlana was one of many Chernihiv residents WCK supported after this attack, providing hot meals and drinks to affected residents as they recover. #ChefsForUkraine

Each meal begins with a seed. WCK's Mirna walked us through every step our ingredients take before they become a meal for Lebanese families without consistent access to food. Today, we're harvesting and cooking the ingredients for rice with pea stew and fresh lettuce and tomato salad, made with vegetables from the fields surrounding our Zahlé kitchen. Our Lebanese team members care for the vegetables from sowing to cooking, sharing compassion and love at each point in the process. #ChefsForMidEast