How a Chef Fed Puerto Rico, and May Change How Aid Is Given

As a result, non-traditional relief initiatives have stepped in, and may change the way that aid is delivered. José Andrés, a renowned Spanish-American chef and humanitarian, arrived in Puerto Rico within days of the hurricane. Under his nonprofit World Central Kitchen, which he founded in 2010 after the earthquake in Haiti, he and a team of volunteers began cooking up food to feed local residents. The project has since served over 3.4 million meals from 25 kitchens with the help of over 19,000 volunteers across the island, funded by donations from foundations, private donors, as well as two FEMA contracts. 

The idea is not only to serve nutritious food, but to empower chefs and food truck partners through investing in agriculture and fishing, as well as culinary training. 

This video looks at the initiative, celebrating Andres as the winner of the BBC Food Chain's 2018 Global Food Champion Award last month. He is still working in this field, helping to feed more people in the face of the disaster than any other relief group. And when the Fuego volcano erupted in Guatemala last month, reportedly causing over 100 deaths and affecting an estimated 1.7 million people, Andres traveled to the country shortly after with a team of 12 volunteers and they began serving an average of 6,000 meals per day.