WASHINGTON — D.C.-based World Central Kitchen (WCK) has arrived in Haiti after the country was struck by a 7.2 earthquake that claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people and injured 6,000.
The earthquake happened on August 14. It destroyed thousands of homes, offices, churches and other structures. And the devastation could soon worsen with the arrival of Tropical Depression Grace, predicted to bring strong winds, heavy rain, mudslides and flash flooding.
WCK went to Haiti to help get fresh meals to the people who need them.
This isn't the first time WCK has been to Haiti. In January 2010, the county was hit by a different earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
WCK was created when Founder José Andrés saw the damage firsthand in 2010 after flying out to see how he could support the country as a chef.
According to the WCK website, Andrés started the organization with the belief that food can be a "positive agent of change for communities in need."
WCK said three crews arrived in Port-au-Prince since the earthquake, bringing a plane loaded with cooking equipment and packaging supplies. The Relief Team immediately got to work searching for kitchen and cooking needs and figuring out how to transport meals.
According to the WCK website, the Relief Team will be delivering meals to hospitals, emergency crews and families impacted by the deadly earthquake. The team is also preparing as Tropical Depression Grace heads towards Haiti, which could bring mudslides and dangerous rainfall.
In July, Jeff Bezos announced he would be donating $100 million to chef José Andrés as part of a new "courage and civility award."
"This award itself can now feed the world on its own, but this is the start of a new chapter for us. To allow us to think beyond the next hurricane to the bigger challenges we face," Andrés described.
Click here to donate to WCK's relief efforts in Haiti.
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