José Andrés

Hope, dignity, and a sign someone cares

WINNERS

José Andrés

Chef Jose Andrés

Last week Chef Andrés received an honorable mention for mobilizing his organization, World Central Kitchen, to the Poland-Ukraine border in order to provide hot meals for the thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. This week he got a majority of your votes.

The World Central Kitchen describes its mission to provide food relief this way:

"WCK responds to natural disasters, man-made crises, and humanitarian emergencies around the world. We're a team of food first responders, mobilizing with the urgency of now to get meals to the people who need them most. Deploying our model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, we know that a nourishing meal in a time of crisis is so much more than a plate of food—it's hope, it's dignity, and it's a sign that someone cares." 

In addition to Ukraine, WCK is currently engaged in such efforts in Brazil, Madagascar, and Tonga among others.

But it has a second mission which is is to create food resilience in affected communities:

"[After] the emergency has subsided, we will make long-term commitments of support in places where we can successfully address chronic food system challenges. . . . Through locally led approaches, our Resilience programs advance human and environmental health, offer access to professional culinary training, create jobs, and improve food security."

You can donate here.

Here are some of your comments about Andrés and his organization:

“He is a force the world needs. His generosity, giving& selfless heart. Without him the world would have a huge empty space in it.”

“He is not only feeding refugees, but those here at home in disaster situations, [and] federal employees in DC in the last government shutdown several years ago.”

“His tireless efforts to ensure refugees have food is incredible. His presence there also speaks volumes about who he is.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian People

Many of you also cast your votes for the Ukrainians and their president for “showing extreme bravery in the face of overwhelming military forces attacking Ukraine.”

You are “inspired by their grit, smarts, determination, solidarity, passion, wit, community spirit, creativity, and fierceness.”

“The courage and fortitude they are demonstrating is awe-inspiring.”

“The Ukrainian people . . . have shown the world (and especially Americans) how to stand up to a vile, criminal, despot bully under the worst circumstances possible. I hope that this wakes the rest of the planet up to what is happening worldwide with fascists trying to rule every country.”

As Ronda C. wrote, “the Ukrainian people, Zelensky, Jose Andres, etc. in my mind are ‘good humans in perpetuity’ for the foreseeable future.” I agree.

RUNNER-UP

Antony Blinken

It’s hard to overstate the difficulty of the disaster Antony Blinken inherited when President Biden came into office. He was preceded by the two worst Secretaries of State in United States history—Rex Tillerson and Mike Pompeo. Under their leadership (or lack thereof) diplomacy was derided, the Western alliance made weaker than it had been in seven decades, the security of NATO undermined, and the institutional memory of the State Department decimated.

You recognized how Blinken “masterfully and compassionately brought our allies together and kept them together by ensuring America’s commitment to NATO. He has tirelessly stood for America’s dedication to compassion, resilience, and defense of peace.”

Further, “Biden, Blinken and the diplomacy team have been brilliant, and the level of international solidarity really is extraordinary.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Anastasiia Yalanskaya

There are probably as many acts of bravery, altruism, and kindness in the face of unthinkable danger as there are Ukrainians. For this week, let’s have Anastasiia and the two men with her, stand in for all of them.

“She stayed behind in Kyiv to deliver food and supplies to those in need. She and two friends were on their way to bring dog food to an animal rescue. They were gunned down in cold blood in the car.”

Such is Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

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Thank you for your votes and comments. Have a good night.