South Florida Support for Ukraine
South Floridians join the world in seeing the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in real time. As refugees flee, border towns are overwhelmed with the flood of people. World Central Kitchen, the disaster relief agency, arrived immediately on the ground to set up kitchens and feed the arrivals.
South Florida chef Karla Hoyos, formerly of Bazaar at SLS, has worked with chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen to feed people at disasters like Hurricanes Dorian in the Bahamas and Maria in Puerto Rico. Shortly after sharing her relief experiences at a SOBEWFF event with Andrés, Hoyos was on a plane headed to Poland. Their mission to feed people was two-fold: to immediately feed refugees, who were cold and hungry, and to build an enormous kitchen in an empty warehouse to feed the multitudes.
The first task – making hot soup and hot chocolate, and getting candy for the children in Przemysl, Poland, – was gratifying, says Hoyos. “The children were so happy! It’s the little things,” she reports. She is overseeing the logistics of building the kitchen – installing plumbing and electricity, building a huge walk-in cooler, bringing in massive gas-fired paella pans to accommodate 250 pounds of meat in a batch.
But the emotional impact has taken its toll. “A couple of days ago, I had a little shock moment where everything kinda hit me, and processing so much suffering in front of my eyes was just hard,” she said in a post on her Instagram account. “I had said to myself that I would stay in the kitchen and not go back to the border cause it was really affecting me, but yesterday we needed to deliver meals in an urgent matter, so I went again.
“As we were bringing in the Cambros [food containers] with the hot meals (chicken and potato stew), on colder than freezing temperatures (because this is a cold I never experienced before, and I lived in Indiana for five years), I glanced at this family, eagerly enjoying the meals our team had just served them. The little girl was eating with so much joy, and you could tell the soup was steaming hot but comforting.
“And then it hit me. This is why I do what I do, this is what is all about.
“For some it might just be a plate of hot food, but it’s more than that … it’s hope, love and a reminder that they are not alone in this.”
To follow Hoyo’s insights into the day-to-day operations on the ground, follow her Instagram account @ChefKarlaHoyos. Donate to World Central Kitchen.
Ukraine Relief Efforts in South Florida
Grove Art Feeds Ukraine
WHAT: An evening of art, plus silent auction and sale, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to World Central Kitchen. Wine and refreshments provided by Grove businesses. This event is presented by Coconut Grove Arts Festival and The Gifford Lane Art Stroll in collaboration with Artists from Coconut Grove and beyond, Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce, Coconut Grove BID and a community of volunteers donating their talent and time.
WHEN: Sat., May 21, 6-9pm. VIP Preview 6pm, donation $25; general admission 7pm. Donate directly here, then bring receipt to the event for admission.
WHERE: Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery, 3390 Mary St.
MORE INFO: Grove Art Feeds Ukraine
Cocktails for Ukraine at Tap 42
WHAT: $10 mint juleps at all their locations – proceeds benefit World Central Kitchen.
WHEN: April 11-May 11
WHERE: All Tap 42 locations: Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables, Midtown Miami, Aventura, Doral, Coral Springs, Davie, Kendall, Boca Raton
MORE INFO: Tap 42
Peace for Ukraine Cocktail at COTE
WHAT: Special cocktail made with Chopin Vodka, Lustau Fino Sherry, lemon juice, mango syrup, blue salt and flowers. For every cocktail sold, COTE will donate $10 to World Central Kitchen to support their effort bringing meals to Ukrainian families.
WHEN: Now
WHERE: COTE, 3900 NE 2 Ave., Design District
MORE INFO: COTE Miami
Support for Ukrainian Zoos
WHAT: Relief efforts are underway to help Ukrainian zoos provide food and care to animals in conditions of relative welfare and safety and support for care staff and management at the zoos. Ron Magill of Zoo Miami says they have contributed to the effort being managed by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).
WHEN: Ongoing
MORE INFO: Donate here.
Bake for Ukraine: Help a Kyiv Bakery Continue
WHAT: Fundraiser for Kyiv bakery that’s been turned into a wartime bakery for the community. “Running a bakery in peace time is hard, running one in wartime is unimaginable, and that’s exactly what Kyiv’s @bakehouse_bh is trying to do,” says Miami’s Zak the Baker, has spoken to fundraising organizers Jon Przybyl of Proof Bread in Mesa Arizona. Funds will buy flour and ingredients.
MORE INFO: The GoFundMe is here.
Botánico Gin and Cookhouse Paella Dinner, Coconut Grove
WHAT: The Botanico team hosted a special paella dinner with Montecillo wine, donating all of the proceeds from event ticket sales to World Central Kitchen to help provide fresh meals to Ukraine communities in need as part of the #ChefsforUkraine initiative. “The entire Botánico team has been shocked and saddened by the events taking place in Ukraine. We decided to put this event together to make an impact and help support an organization that’s doing wonderful work on the ground in Ukraine, feeding families,” say co-owners Ricardo Ordonez and chef Gerardo B. de Negri. “We were blown away by the donations and support we received from the local Coconut Grove and South Florida community alike.”
MORE INFO: Botánico Gin and Cookhouse
Milam’s Markets Collections for Ukraine
WHAT: Donations collected at the register for the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) directed to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. “We are firm believers that we are put on this Earth to help one another,” says Kristie Milam, who says they have raised $27,200 in just 11 days. “Watching innocent people in Ukraine be displaced from their homes is truly heartbreaking and we couldn’t just sit back and watch. We are only a very small fish in a very big pond, but when we come together we can make a bigger impact. Our customers, associates, and our family all want to do what we can to provide resources for those that need it most.”
WHEN: Through Mar. 10
WHERE: All locations: Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Springs
MORE INFO: Milam’s Markets; ICRC.org
