There’s an old proverb that says, “Charity starts at home.” The adage took on a whole new meaning for me last fall when Hurricane Helene devastated my adopted home of Asheville, North Carolina. In the days, weeks and months that followed, I developed a deep, personal appreciation for one of Pinnacle’s longstanding charitable partners – World Central Kitchen (WCK).

A Mission to Feed Communities in Crisis

WCK was founded in 2010 by celebrated chef José Andrés. A Spanish-born, Washington, D.C.-based humanitarian, Chef Andrés’ journey in food relief began when he volunteered at DC Central Kitchen, sparking a passion for serving food to those in need. In response to a devastating earthquake in Haiti, Andrés, his wife, Patricia, his business partner Rob Wilder, and Rob’s wife, Robin, launched WCK to provide emergency meals in disaster zones.

Since then, WCK has operated with a simple but powerful mission – one inspired by John Steinbeck’s words: “Wherever there’s a fight so that hungry people may eat…we’ll be there.”

Hurricane Helene’s Impact on Asheville

On September 26-27, 2024, Hurricane Helene unleashed unprecedented rainfall, powerful winds, flooding and mudslides across Asheville, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Entire mountain towns and neighborhoods vanished under floodwaters and landslides.

By noon on September 30, WCK was already on the ground, serving hot meals and distributing drinking water to those affected. Their rapid response was critical: most of the region was without electricity or cell service for at least a week, running water didn’t return for three weeks, and potable water remained unavailable for almost two months.

Community Partnerships that Made a Difference

One of the hallmarks of WCK’s approach is its partnership with local businesses and organizations, ensuring that relief efforts are as impactful as possible. In Asheville, WCK:

• Partnered with local restaurants to repurpose food that would have otherwise spoiled and gone to waste.
• Teamed up with Bear's Smokehouse BBQ to distribute thousands of meals per day from their South Slope location.
• Established additional meal distribution sites in some of the hardest-hit parts of the area, including Black Mountain, Swannanoa, North Asheville and the Tunnel Road area of East Asheville.

WCK also partnered with a local charitable organization, Equal Plates Project, a local nonprofit whose mission is to “support local farmers, address food insecurity and build community through scratch-cooked meals.” Equal Plates purchases fresh food from local farmers and prepares healthy meals for those dealing with food insecurity in the area.

Before Hurricane Helene, Equal Plates prepared about 1,000 meals per week. Thanks to WCK’s support, Equal Plates is now able to serve 1,000 meals per day, and will soon have the capability to serve 4,000 meals per day, even after WCK transitions out of the area in early spring.

An Unparalleled Impact

As of mid-December, WCK had served more than 1.5 million meals and distributed over 2 million gallons of water in western North Carolina.

I have been utterly and completely in awe of the compassionate care World Central Kitchen has provided in the Asheville area. Their ability to mobilize quickly, work with local partners and provide comfort through food is nothing short of extraordinary. I am proud that both Pinnacle and I can be counted among their supporters.

Learn More

To learn more about these incredible organizations and their work, visit:

• World Central Kitchen: www.wck.org
• Equal Plates Project: www.equalplatesproject.org