World Central Kitchen COVID-19 Response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WCK has been cooking for 260 days — over eight months — and we’re still going. We have provided more 33.5 million meals in 400+ cities in 35 states and territories across the United States. Some of our largest citywide activations include: New York City (8.5 million meals); Oakland (2.3 million meals); southern California, including Los Angeles (4 million meals); Washington, D.C. (1.3 million); and New Orleans (1.26 million meals). Currently, our teams are distributing up to 20,000 meals per day nationwide while continuing to monitor needs across the country.

We have developed and refined our food relief model, which provides quality meals to communities in need while simultaneously supporting the struggling restaurant industry. By partnering with 2,450+ restaurants to provide more than 12 million nourishing meals, we have put $133.1 million (and rising!) directly back into an industry that has been devastated throughout the pandemic.

We continue to receive positive feedback from our restaurant partners and are pleased to share a snapshot of a few conversations below:

• Jam’It Bistro in Brooklyn has been able to hire two employees from a local shelter to help prepare meals. Dawn, owner of the Jamaican restaurant, told us, “every dish is my reputation and a chance to spread the Jamaican love of food further & deeper.” 
• Chef Terence, owner of Terra Café in Baltimore, which has prepared 11,800 in partnership with WCK, said, “I already knew we were going to be in trouble when it started. When you guys came, it was life saving.”
• Chef Oumar of The Damel in Oakland told us, “I want to extend our thanks to you for not only saving our business from closing down but also for helping our great team stay employed. Your generosity reflects our mission statement of nurturing growth and building community. With WCK’s great partnership, The Damel is focusing on thriving and not surviving.”
• Pão De Queijo is a Brazilian restaurant in Astoria, Queens. Karina told us, “Everyone in the city is bracing for the next months... With WCK, not only could we feed our community now as the city is recovering but also, it helps us financially prepare to survive through the winter. I’m saving every dollar from those meals to keep us afloat.”

COVID-19 is first and foremost a health crisis that has turned into an economic crisis as well as a humanitarian crisis. We’ve distributed meals to many communities in need, but with a looming winter season ahead, the pandemic will continue to cause hardship for millions of people and restaurants alike. Thank you for your support of our pandemic response. Together, we are providing fresh meals to communities in need while putting money back into small businesses around the country.

Links:

• Restaurants for the People Overview
• WCK's September 4 Update
• WCK's August 22 Update for New Orleans