Ricky Ly of Tasty Chomps, the local food blog, is organizing a fundraiser to benefit World Central Kitchen following the April 1 attack and killing of some of its aid workers in Gaza.
The fundraiser features an online auction, and as usual, Central Florida’s culinary community is stepping up to help. The auction items, which you can see here, feature restaurant gift cards, dining experiences with local food celebrities, and others. The list is growing, so check back often for updates.
World Central Kitchen (WCK) was started by Jose Andres, whose restaurant Jaleo is at Disney Springs. Over the years, WCK has moved in whenever disaster strikes – earthquakes, volcano eruptions – setting up kitchens under impossible conditions just to make certain people get fed. For several years, Andres’ name has come up when Nobel Peace Prize nominations come up.
The organization’s efforts in Gaza were particularly fraught, placing aid workers in a war zone. But because the United Nations has declared that famine in Gaza is “imminent,” the workers felt they needed to do something to be part of the solution. Although they were riding in a vehicle that was clearly marked as providing humanitarian support, Israeli forces attacked the vehicle, claiming mistaken identity, killing seven of the aid workers.
I would like to think I would have the bravery to head into a war zone for such altruistic reasons; perhaps you do, too. In the meantime, we can show our support by bidding on items for the “Orlando for World Kitchen” fundraiser, or simply sending a donation. You can do both here.