Jose Andres' #ChefsForFeds emergency kitchen expanding to feed government workers in 12 states, Puerto Rico

ByDanny Clemens WLS logo
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
'A humanitarian crisis': Chef opens pop-up kitchen for gov. employees
Furloughed federal government employees in the nation's capital are enjoying a free hot meal thanks to celebrity chef Jose Andres, who opened a pop-up kitchen in Washington offering complimentary food for government employees and their families.

WASHINGTON -- After serving tens of thousands of meals to Washington-area government employees impacted by the government shutdown, celebrity chef Jose Andres is expanding his #ChefsForFeds emergency kitchen to feed federal workers going without a paycheck around the country.

Andres announced on Twitter Tuesday that #ChefsForFeds will soon be operating out of more than 30 different locations in 12 states and Puerto Rico in addition to the original location in Washington.

The Washington kitchen, which has served thousands of meals a day in the week since it opened, is operated by World Central Kitchen, Andres' nonprofit that responds to natural disasters and works in communities around the world to end poverty and hunger. That organization is leading efforts to recruit restaurants, food trucks, catering services and volunteers for the #ChefsForFeds expansion.

They're expected to announce the additional locations and their hours this week.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Celebrity chef Jose Andres opens pop-up kitchen to feed furloughed government employees in Washington

In a video posted to Twitter last week, Andres called the partial government shutdown, which impacts hundreds of thousands of government employees across the country, a humanitarian crisis.

"I hope it will be a call to action to our senators and congressman and especially President Trump to make sure that we end this moment in the history of America where families are about to go hungry," Andres said in a second video. "We should always come together as we the people. As Americans...Republicans, Democrats, all Americans."

World Central Kitchen said the original Washington kitchen will be open "every day as long as there is need."

VIDEO: A look back at recent government shutdowns

Before 2018, the federal government experienced more than a dozen prior shutdowns and funding gaps.