Chef José Andrés is hoping to help comfort the people of Ukraine by feeding them.
The Michelin-starred chef helped provide meals to those fleeing the war through his nonprofit World Central Kitchen, José told NPR.
"At least, feeding people is what makes sense," he said. "Longer tables, people working together to make sure that one plate of food at a time we can bring hope of a better tomorrow."
His team set up kitchens the day after the Russian invasion began, eventually partnering with restaurants in 12 Ukrainian cities, in addition to locations in Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.
"It kind of breaks your heart, because you wonder why we need to be putting young people—men and women—in this situation of having to go to defend their country and putting their lives at risk," José added. "Nothing makes sense."
He documented his efforts on social media and shared to Twitter on March 17 how food can be used as resistance.
"Everywhere we go in Ukraine…food is at the center of resistance," José write in the tweet. "Restaurants turned into community kitchens…chefs and volunteers risking their lives to fight back with plates of food. These are heroes in aprons and we must—we will—stand along side them!"
The chef and humanitarian has focused his efforts with World Central Kitchen on providing food after a tragedy, responding to unrest and disaster. According to the nonprofit's blog, José went to India in July 2021 in response to the country's COVID surge. And in September 2021, the nonprofit offered food to people living in La Palma—a Canary Island in Spain—after a volcano erupted, covering 380 acres in lava.
Closer to home, José and his nonprofit gave 120 pizzas to law enforcement after the January 2021 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol.
"I know it's a lot of controversies and everything, but we feed people," he said in a video shared on social media. "We feed anybody and everybody, and we activate when there is need."