![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_1461.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKYIV, Ukraine \u2014 August 25, 2026 \u2014 Chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), has received\u00a0 the \u201cNational Legend of Ukraine,\u201d one of the country\u2019s highest state distinctions, from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n
The award recognizes individuals whose contributions have had a significant impact on Ukraine. Jos\u00e9 was honored for his longstanding commitment to the country and its people since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion began in 2022.<\/p>\n
The recognition comes as World Central Kitchen reaches an extraordinary milestone in our response: 300 million meals served across Ukraine.<\/p>\n
WCK began cooking in Ukraine within days of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Since then, we have worked alongside Ukrainian chefs, restaurants, community kitchens, local partners, and team members to provide nourishing meals and food kits to people across the country\u2014from border crossings and train stations to frontline communities and cities recovering from Russian strikes.<\/p>\n
Chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s says:<\/p>\n
\u201cFive years later, World Central Kitchen is still cooking and feeding in the most difficult places near the front lines. From the first day, World Central Kitchen has supported Ukrainians feeding Ukrainians. Ukraine feeds the world\u2014not only with the amazing grain it produces, but right now, Ukraine is also feeding the world with hope. I\u2019m very proud to stand alongside the amazing men and women of Ukraine. They are fighting for all of us to be free.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 300 million meals milestone represents more than a number. Each meal represents a moment when someone in Ukraine needed food\u2014and someone showed up to cook, deliver, or serve.<\/p>\n
Yuliya Stefanyuk, WCK\u2019s Ukraine Response Director, says:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the first days of the full-scale war, Jos\u00e9 and World Central Kitchen have stood with Ukrainians, showing that food can be an act of solidarity and a source of hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andr\u00e9s has maintained a close connection to Ukraine since WCK\u2019s response began. In 2022, he received the Order of Merit, II Class, from President Zelenskyy. He was also named a UNITED24 ambassador in 2023 and has continued to use his voice internationally to support Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The \u201cNational Legend of Ukraine\u201d distinction was established by President Zelenskyy in 2021 and is awarded annually around Ukraine\u2019s Independence Day to recognize exceptional contributions to the country.<\/p>\n
World Central Kitchen, founded by Chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s in 2010, is first to the frontlines, providing fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. In Ukraine, WCK began its response within days of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has since served over 300 million meals across the country.<\/p>\n
For more information or media enquiries, please contact:\u00a0\u00a0
Roberta Alves, Director of Media Relations at\u00a0ralves@worldcentralkitchen.org\u00a0or +1 202.400.7483
Our full media team is reachable at\u00a0press@wck.org<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chefs For Ukraine<\/p>\n
Ukraine\u2019s Strength Is What Keeps WCK Cooking: 300 Million Meals and Counting<\/p>\n
8\/21\/2026<\/p>\n
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Chefs For Ukraine<\/p>\n
How WCK Supports Ukrainians\u2019 Unique Needs, From Emergency Meals to Kitchen Renovations<\/p>\n
8\/18\/2026<\/p>\n
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Chefs For Ukraine<\/p>\n
From a Family Restaurant to a Lifeline: Dmytro\u2019s Journey with WCK in Ukraine<\/p>\n
5\/08\/2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KYIV, Ukraine \u2014 August 25, 2026 \u2014 Chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), has received\u00a0 the \u201cNational Legend of Ukraine,\u201d one of the country\u2019s highest state distinctions, from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The award recognizes individuals whose contributions have had a significant impact on Ukraine. Jos\u00e9 was honored for his longstanding commitment to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3997,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-3996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chefs","tag-chef"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117156985170220571","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}