After Hurricane Maria, Jose Andres Leads Food Relief Efforts Celebrities

Chef Offers Glimmer of Hope in Puerto Rico

José Andrés leads effort to get meals to storm-ravaged residents

Courtesy of Chef José Andrés via Twitter Chef José Andrés serves food in a mountaintop town outside of Utuabo, Puerto Rico. is serving more than 100,000 meals each day to Puerto Ricans recovering from the devastating destruction of , and he hopes to have a dozen kitchens up and running across the weather-beaten island by next week. The Washington, D.C.-based celebrity chef is running the relief efforts through his nonprofit disaster-relief organization, . The native of Spain, 48, whose culinary empire includes popular restaurants in D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Philadelphia, arrived in Puerto Rico a few days after the storm and has rallied support from other chefs and organizations through his social media channels using the hashtag . AARP Membership: Currently, the organization has set up kitchens in Naguabo, Vieques, Aguadilla, Ponce, Farjado and San Juan, serving balanced meals such as paella and rice. World Central Kitchen has turned the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan into its headquarters, converting the 18,000-seat arena into what Andres is now “the largest restaurant in the world!” The organization is even getting food to Puerto Ricans in far-flung regions where kitchens have not been established nearby, using food trucks, door-to-door deliveries and pop-up facilities. Though the Federal Emergency Management Agency initially granted Andres and his nonprofit a $1.5 million contract, the chef told Time magazine that costs have far exceeded that amount and he has pressed the agency for more help. He estimates that additional FEMA aid could increase the number of meals served each day to half a million. At least 45 people have died as a result of , and large parts of the island are still without electricity or clean drinking water.

Also of Interest

TELL US:
Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.