World Central Kitchen (post-hurricane relief, Fort Myers Beach Town Hall)

Fort Myers Beach is on the Gulf coast of Florida; in September 2022, category four Hurricane Ian made landfall there. Following the hurricane, World Central Kitchen (WCK), a disaster relief organization, set up camp in the Fort Myers Beach Town Hall--a building typically used for community meetings and events--in order to make and serve food for those who needed it. José Andrés founded WCK to fight food insecurity after disasters and crises as well as fighting systemic racism exposed by aid responses to natural disasters. Andrés, a renowned Spanish chef currently based out of Washington, D.C., started WCK after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. After aiding in the aftermath of major hurricanes Maria and Irma in Puerto Rico in 2017, he infamously called out those involved in federal disaster aid for their lack of response to the American territory, shedding light on systemic racism in government and disaster response as well as racial disparities in food insecurity.

World Central Kitchen set up operations in the Fort Myers Beach Town Hall in Fort Myers Beach, Florida following Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in September 2022. After the hurricane, the organization also set up kitchens in various areas of Florida to reach more people affected. Ian was just short of being classified a category 5 hurricane by a few miles per hour, and caused catastrophic damage and left communities in ruin. Because of this, WCK and other organizations immediately went to Florida to aid in disaster relief by feeding and rebuilding communities in need.

José Andrés is a Spanish chef who immigrated to the United States in 1991. Settling in Washington D.C. in 1993, he opened multiple restaurants in the area with some earning Michelin stars. Because of his interest in philanthropy, he established D.C. Central Kitchen to give back to his local community. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, he began World Central Kitchen to help feed people in need across the globe. World Central Kitchen focuses on empowerment of communities rather than only feeding those in need. With the help of a global chef network made up of ‘chefs without borders,’ the mission of WCK focuses on five main points: education, health, jobs, social enterprise, and disaster relief. When the organization had begun in Haiti, WCK built kitchens in public schools, allowing for more jobs to be created and education for children while ensuring students and community members received food. They later added disaster relief following hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Texas. Disaster relief from WCK addresses natural disasters, political crises, and other types of emergencies. Most recently, WCK has been on the ground in Ukraine aiding those affected by the war against Russia.

Organizations and governments provide emergency food aid and disaster relief by giving food and necessities to those in need during and after emergencies, disasters, and crises. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) states that disasters severely affect availability of food and that emergency food aid prevents malnourishment in an area of crisis. Because of disaster, food is difficult to obtain due to harm to the supply chain around where the disaster affected. Resources cannot get in or out the way they usually can so disaster relief is necessary to add extra help to places experiencing a crisis. Organizations like World Central Kitchen take PAHO’s suggestions for a basic grain, fat and protein to be cooked and brought to those in need. However, not all groups receive the same responses as others regarding disaster relief and emergency aid.

Disaster relief and emergency food aid is not always adequately supplied for those who need it. Minority groups are disproportionately affected by the failure to obtain food after a natural disaster due to many factors that stem from systemic racism. Following Hurricane Katrina, a major hurricane that devastated Louisiana in August 2005, a study found that food insecurity predominantly affected Black communities compared to others both before and after the hurricane. Food insecurity disproportionately affects the communities of people of color with or without the added stress of a disaster or crisis. The study looked at how many grocery stores were in predominantly Black neighborhoods before and after the hurricane and found that there were fewer grocery stores in Black neighborhoods compared to their white counterparts. It also found that many grocery stores in these neighborhoods were not rebuilt after the hurricane, furthering this discrepancy and the food insecurity that follows.

Along with food insecurity, systemic racism leads to lack of disaster relief and emergency response for minority groups. In 2017, two devastating hurricanes, Irma and Maria, hit Puerto Rico almost back to back. The territory lost power, water, and food access without the help of others. Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, the federal government did not provide an adequate emergency response. Their lack of response publicly exposed how racist systems can affect responses to disasters. During this time, World Central Kitchen and José Andrés established a name in the disaster relief realm of organizations. Andrés publicly called out former President Donald Trump for his lackluster response in Puerto Rico. This outcry helped gather more people and chefs who helped feed and support Puerto Ricans in need. 

Kickstarted after a disastrous earthquake in Haiti, World Central Kitchen uses its five core points of relief to help communities in the aftermath of disasters and crises. José Andrés uses his organization to fight back against and expose systemic racism in food insecurity and relief responses as he did following the 2017 hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Today, WCK is on the ground in places like Puerto Rico, Florida, Ukraine and other locations that have recently been affected by disasters and crises that harm food access. WCK continues to respond to crises by placing chefs, employees, and volunteers on the ground in affected areas as well as accepting donations on their website.

Andres, Jose. n. d. “Our Story.” World Central Kitchen. Accessed September 28, 2022. https://wck.org/story.

Biography.com. 2022. “José Andrés.” A&E Networks Television. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://www.biography.com/personality/jose-andres-world-central-kitchen.

Burton, Monica. 2017. “The Story Behind the José Andrés Nonprofit Serving Hurricane Dorian Victims.” Eater. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://www.eater.com/2017/11/10/16623204/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-bahamas-puerto-rico-haiti-houston.

Geurts, Jimmy. 2022. “Where to find World Central Kitchen free meal sites in Southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian.” Herald-Tribune. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/ entertainment/dining/2022/10/04/fort-myers-sw-fl-beach-world-central-kitchen-hurricane-ian-free-meal-sites/8177167001/.

Odoms-Young, Angela M. and Marino A. Bruce. 2018. “Examining the Impact of Structural Racism on Food Insecurity: Implications for Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disparities.” Family and Community Health. vol. 41. (April/June): S3-S6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823283/.

PAHO. n.d. “Food and Nutrition in Disasters.” Pan American Health Organization Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://www.paho.org/en/health-emergencies/food-and-nutrition-disasters.

Rodriguez-Diaz, Carlos E. and Charlotte Lewellen-Williams. 2020. “Race and Racism as Structural Determinants for Emergency and Recovery Response in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico.” Health Equity, 4(1): 232-238. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7247035/.

Rose, Donald, Bodor, J. N., Rice, Janet C., Swalm, Chris M., and Paul L. Hutchinson. 2011. "The Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Food Access Disparities in New Orleans." American Journal of Public Health 101, no. 3 (2011): 482-484. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2010.196659.