FEATURE STORY A Homeland Under Siege
By Ann Donahue F or Wish Farms, a donation to World Central Kitchen for the non- profit’s work in Ukraine was about more than wanting to help a country in turmoil. It was personal. Media coverage of war zones has always been a harrowing affair—for centuries, journalists put their lives on the line alongside soldiers in order to give readers, listeners and viewers back home a sense of the visceral reality around them in an attempt to clarify the fog of war. The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia has added a modern twist to that kind of comprehensive news coverage. It is a war unfolding in real time, and not just filtered for edited consumption on 24-hour cable news channels. It is also being documented thanks to besieged citizens and aid workers detailing the humanitarian crisis on social media.
One of those is Chef José Andrés, whose World Central Kitchen is now providing up to 300,000 meals daily to survivors of the atrocities in the country and refugees in seven countries who were forced to flee the war zone. Working with local partners on the ground to rebuild food systems in the wake of the invasion, WCK reached Bucha—the site of documented war crimes committed against civilians by Russian soldiers—mere hours after Ukranian forces liberated the city. The organization provided hot meals and 13,000 pounds of fresh food to the community, and were the first outsiders citizens encountered since the siege began. While setting up a supply chain for the meals, Andrés and WCK CEO Nate Mook regularly posted to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as conducting media interviews with traditional outlets,
to detail the work chefs are doing in the country. The numbers are irrefutable to the organization’s efficacy; from the start of the invasion to the first week of April, WCK has served more than six million meals to those suffering during the Ukraine crisis and those following on social media can see the evidence first-hand. Walt Dasher, Vice President of G&R Farms in Georgia, made a $2,500 donation to World Central Kitchen and issued a call to action for other produce companies to step up. “I have watched in disbelief the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, and I am moved by the perseverance the Ukrainian people are showing to protect their families and get them to safety, while also staying behind to defend their country,” Dasher said. “They are an example to the world, and they are the line in the sand that represents freedom. As a food
World Central Kitchen in Poland
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MAY | JUNE 2022
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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