The American Land Title Association (ALTA) Good Deeds Foundation awarded a $10,000 emergency grant to the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a not-for-profit organization that provides meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2010 by celebrity Chef José Andrés, WCK is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing devastation as well as those who remain in their country.
“The crisis in Ukraine is, among many other things, a humanitarian issue. As President Biden said, this is about standing for what we believe in,” ALTA CEO Diane Tomb said in a release. “Through the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation, ALTA and its members are able to support organizations that are doing good deeds – those like WCK that are rolling up their sleeves and doing the hard work. We are proud to stand next to Chef Andrés and WCK as they provide relief to refugees.”
The Foundation Board decided to award the emergency grant because the United Nations estimates more than 2 million Ukrainians now have fled their country since Russia launched a large-scale military invasion on Feb. 24. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called it the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
“I had the honor of sitting down with Chef Andrés during ALTA ONE, ALTA’s annual event, in 2020 to discuss the importance of meeting the needs of local communities,” Foundation Board Chair and President and CEO of Westcor Mary O’Donnell said. “Andrés and the chefs of WCK were at a border crossing in southern Poland within hours of the initial invasion, serving hot meals to refugees. This is why we created the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation: to support communities – even, in this case, when those communities are in another part of the world. This grant from the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation will help feed people experiencing complete devastation.”