World Central Kitchen Supports Communities Following Multiple Disasters

Disasters disproportionately affect underserved communities. Resources and basic necessities are already scarce day-to-day and are sure to be made worse when a natural disaster strikes. Organizations like World Central Kitchen (WCK), which provides fresh, nutritious meals to people in need, step in during these times of crisis.

On August 14, southern Haiti was struck by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, which decimated more than 13,000 homes. More than 1,200 people lost their lives and the injuries overwhelmed hospitals. Many people lost power causing food to quickly spoil. To support those without power, and to quickly begin cooking and serving meals, WCK worked with FedEx to procure 19 pallets of LuminAid solar lights, which continue to serve as sources of light and power to people in the hardest hit areas. FedEx also shipped 50 pallets of kitchen equipment. With this support, and the help of local chefs and volunteers, WCK served more than 650,000 meals to communities recovering from the earthquake and subsequent blackout, including those in Les Cayes and Jeremie.

Within days of the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Ida struck the Gulf Coast. When the hurricane made landfall on August 26, WCK was ready. FedEx supported by shipping 84 boxes of steam pans, which had the capacity to produce more than 30,000 meals per day. By pre-positioning supplies ahead of the hurricane, WCK was able to start cooking as soon as the hurricane passed to support communities in New Orleans and hard hit areas like Houma and Lafitte that were without access to power or food and were recovering from the storm. The team served more than 450,000 fresh, nourishing meals to people in need.

World Food Day is celebrated every October 16 in 150 countries around the world. This World Food Day, we invite you to learn more about WCK and how they use the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. We are proud to collaborate with WCK and hope that you will join us to support their mission.

Through the FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative, FedEx lends its global network and unparalleled logistics expertise to organizations with mission-critical needs and helps communities before, during and after crises. Learn more about FedEx Cares Delivering for Good initiative here.

***Image published with permission of World Central Kitchen