In response to World Central Kitchen’s plea for support so that it could continue its meal distribution program in Ukraine through the winter ahead, over 70 restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines have banded together to raise funds by committing to various fundraising efforts including donating a portion of their profits from a dinner service this month.
The participating restaurants in the Philippines are A MANO, Cibo, Ember, Grace Park, Gallery by Chele, Helm, Lusso, Made Nice, Mamou, Manam, Metronome, Ramen Ron, Savage, and Toyo Eatery.
World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit founded by world renowned Spanish chef José Andrés in 2010 to send food relief at the soonest possible time to areas in need, has been distributing meals in Ukraine since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February this year. As temperatures drop and Russian attacks continue to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, families are left without gas, water, and electricity. WCK’s efforts ensure that people on the frontlines of the conflict have access to food.
World Central Kitchen is focused on raising and spending $10 million per month and will continue at this scale through the end of the winter season. “We are committed to staying in Ukraine through the entirety of winter until March 2023 and will have to determine our impact based on available funds. We continue to monitor and pivot the locations we serve based on need and constant on-the-ground security assessments,” said Javier Garcia, secretary of WCK’s Board of Directors.
This initiative is jointly organized by CatchOn – A Finn Partners Company, The Ate Group in Singapore and Eat Public Relations in the Philippines, with the participating restaurants from the aforementioned three Asian countries.
By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, or emergency kitchens, WCK is able to serve meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. To support regional economies, WCK prioritizes purchasing local ingredients to cook with or distribute directly to families in need. WCK has served more than 200 million meals around the world.
Individual donations are also encouraged and can be made at: https://donate.wck.org/asiaFor more information about World Central Kitchen, visit www.wck.org.