Washington chef and restaurateur Jose Andres hit a milestone in relief work in Puerto Rico: Serving the 1 millionth meal to hurricane victims in three weeks through his World Central Kitchen, aided by hundreds of volunteers. Restaurateur Guy Fieri, a resident of Santa Rosa, Calif., cooked meals for wildfire evacuees in Sonoma County.
Andres announced the 1 millionth meal on Twitter and later posted, “I’m not a celebrity but is so many people doing great things…#ChefsForPuertoRico and @GuyFieri and so many heroes men and women!”
“How Andrés and crew have pulled off this feat is a story that’s difficult to piece together on a cellphone call to Puerto Rico, where service remains spotty and the chef remains too swamped to walk a reporter through all the complex logistics of feeding an island with little gas, electricity or transportation,” said the Washington Post. Food is prepared at 15 kitchens, where 450-500 volunteers work daily. “Donors, large and small, have contributed millions of dollars to World Central Kitchen.”
“Fieri is one of many local chefs and restaurateurs who are working with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army to help evacuees in Sonoma County,” said Eater. “Last Thursday, Fieri and his team rolled up to the Veterans Memorial Building to start cooking meals for thousands of evacuees at a makeshift outdoor kitchen, complete with massive barbecue smokers.” Fieri and his family were displaced from their home in the Coffey Park neighborhood. Their house survived but the neighborhood was severely damaged.