I'm forwarding an email from World Central Kitchen because I know that we are an empathetic bunch. Many of you/us have already stepped up to support the people on the ground in Venezuela — rescuing, healing, and feeding those hit by an already-dire situation made catastrophic by two earthquakes that struck within seconds of each other. Venezuelans were already facing hunger and turmoil. Now they're facing this too.
From WCK...
On Thursday, our locally-led teams on the ground opened a new large-scale Field Kitchen in La Guaira, complete with a warehouse, lodging, and additional infrastructure needed to support our growing response. The facility allows us to bring on dozens of staff and volunteers, strengthening our local connections with the hardest-hit communities across Venezuela. The new Field Kitchen will increase our daily capacity by 30,000 meals, on top of the thousands of delicious meals that are already being prepared each day by our network of restaurant, food truck, and catering partners in the region.
Hear from our founder, Chef José Andres, as he shares more about our relief efforts on the ground in Venezuela.
WCK’s response to the destruction in Venezuela started strong and with urgency, and our new facilities are playing a vital role in our ability to scale up operations to meet the immense and widespread need for fresh food, clean water, and other critical resources. In the immediate aftermath of the devastating June 24 earthquakes, WCK—alongside dozens of local restaurant and community partners—began handing out sandwiches and scouting hard-hit communities where our help would be needed most. Food trucks expanded our coverage starting June 29, and local ice trucks have stepped up as well, delivering thousands of bags of ice to families and first responders struggling through the extreme heat.
These were the strongest earthquakes to hit Venezuela in over a century, and the full scope of what's needed is still coming into focus. So far, we've served nearly 300,000 meals across Miranda, La Guaira, and Carabobo, across more than 65 active distribution hubs and counting.
On behalf of WCK and the families we serve, thank you for showing up for communities facing this exact kind of devastation before. If you're able, your support for Venezuela right now will allow us to continue growing the response when it is needed most.
We'll keep you posted as things continue to unfold. Thank you again for your consideration to stand with the people of Venezuela.
