After Hurricane María struck Puerto Rico, famed chef José Andrés headed to the island to feed hungry Puerto Ricans, including those in more remote areas. Arriving five days after the devastating storm, he served more than 3.4 million meals – a number that surpassed the efforts of the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the government. Now, the Spanish celebrity has headed to Guatemala to help those affected by the recent eruption of Volcán de Fuego, which has killed more than 100 and displaced many more. It affected more than 1.7 million people, but those El Rodeo, Alotenango, and San Miguel los Lotes felt the effects most intensely. Andrés and a team of 12 arrived in the Central American country four days after the natural disaster. They have provided more than 6,000 meals.
Andrés started his World Central Kitchen in 2010 after an earthquake in Haiti. Since then, he’s used his position of privilege to help others in need. In Guatemala – with the help of the government, NGOs, and other groups – has opened six food truck and three kitchens. “The volcano still has potential to be very damaging without us knowing,” Andrés told CNN. “We were in Ceilán the other day and lava began coming down but we were not aware of it because the thunderstorms [got mixed up] with volcano noise.”