$100,000 Donated to World Central Kitchen’s #ChefsForMorocco Initiative
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
We are providing $100,000 to support World Central Kitchen’s #ChefsForMorocco initiative.
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco late the night of September 8 has already become the deadliest the nation has seen in over 60 years. With an epicenter below the High Atlas Mountains just southwest of Marrakesh, tremors and aftershocks could be felt as far away as Spain and Portugal. The death toll is approaching 3,000 and is expected to rise as rescue teams navigate mountainous terrain, collapsed homes, and debris-filled roads. More than 5,600 people are wounded, and the need for immediate help is immense.
World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team was on the ground within hours using any means possible, deploying helicopters and 4x4 vehicles to reach the hardest hit areas around the cities and in the steep, mountainous region. They are providing urgent support and sustenance, delivering meals and evacuating people needing medical care. Importing a team from Spain with multiple food trucks and kitchen equipment, WCK began cooking more fresh meals as soon as possible.
Updating us on their efforts, WCK reports seven sites operational to feed people across the country, which has been a massive challenge given Morocco’s geography. In some of these isolated areas, where communities have essentially been wiped from existence, members of WCK were the first people to reach the displaced Moroccans. When scouting teams arrived in the village of Tinmel in the High Atlas Mountains, they found many residents living in makeshift camps. The team met with camp leadership to better understand the community's needs and how WCK can best support them.
About World Central Kitchen
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises. Applying our model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, WCK has served more than 300 million nourishing meals around the world.
When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilizes with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, or emergency kitchens, WCK serves comforting 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.
We know that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis. Learn more at wck.org.
This is the fourth time AWMH has partnered with WCK. The non-profit was previously a donation recipient during AWMH’s 2022 Helping Hands Concert & Auction and received contributions to their relief campaign following Hurricane Fiona in Florida and their #ChefsForUkraine initiative after the invasion of Ukraine.
