WCK is serving millions of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as people remaining in the country.
On February 24, Russia launched a large-scale military operation on neighboring Ukraine, invading the country on several fronts. Since then, millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes and are staying in cities in the west or leaving for other countries altogether. The journey is daunting, with many Ukrainian families traveling for days without food.
Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion, and we are now serving round-the-clock dishes at eight border crossings across the country. Additionally, we are supporting local restaurants preparing meals in cities across Ukrainian including in Odessa, Lviv, and Kyiv. WCK teams are also on the ground serving thousands of meals every day in Romania, Moldova, and Hungary.
As the situation keeps evolving, WCK will continue to help in the best way we know how, with a freshly prepared plate of food—and we’re ready to expand our support for families in need.
“We stayed for three weeks in Kyiv during the war. We kept thinking ‘Maybe it will end tomorrow’ and tomorrow never came. I decided to go once they began to dig military trenches a block away from my home. I couldn’t be caught in crossfire, so I grabbed my neighbor [Tamara] and we came here.”
Olga and Tamara stop to share a meal at the Tesco shelter in Przemyśl.
“Hot food! Very important, for health and spirits. Usually we’re eating homemade, hot foods in Ukraine. During our recent travels, we have eaten many sandwiches. But this hot soup, feels like home.”
Meet our local teams cooking
Oh My Ramen
After crossing into Poland, refugees are transported by bus to nearby accommodation centers. WCK set up at one of these centers in Korczowa with our food truck partner Oh My Ramen. Sasha and Vitalik from Oh My Ramen are Ukrainians living in Poland, and drove 4 hours to join the WCK team. They’ve been serving ever since.
Each day, Mila and the Dieta Vitas team wake up at 5am to cook 500 daily meals for refugee families staying at a shelter in Chișinău, Moldova. Mila manages the kitchen, known for employing one of the most famous groups of chefs in town. The situation in Ukraine brought back painful memories for her—when the Transnistria and Gagauzia conflict happened in Moldova, Mila and her kitchen staff volunteered to cook, every day, on the frontline. “We’re chefs, so all we can do to help in times like these is to provide comfort and love through our cooking.”
In Odessa, Ukraine, WCK is working with Chef Aleksander Yourz & the team at Yourz Space Bistro who are cooking thousands of plates, including pasta & fresh baked bread. Meals are for residents & people in need—they’ll scale up service as they’re able.