The Duke & Duchess of Sussex are partnering with World Central Kitchen
One of the things I love most about the Duchess of Sussex is that, as a royal figure, she really carved out an issue profile for herself of hunger and food insecurity. It’s one of the central issues she cares about and works on, from the Together cookbook to benefit the Hubb Community Kitchen, to her volunteer work at food banks, to her highlighting of other people who work to address food poverty. I’m sure Prince Harry cares about these issues as well, but I’m also sure that Meghan opened his eyes to what more they could do together. So… their Archewell Foundation has announced their first sponsorship, and wouldn’t you know, it’s about food.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are bringing on a new partnership for their non-profit, the Archewell foundation. On Sunday, the couple announced that Archewell would be joining forces with José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, a non-profit dedicated to feeding communities negatively impacted by natural disasters.
Harry and Meghan’s foundation will be helping World Center Kitchen build a series of Community Relief Centers, which will be activated as service kitchens during and after moments of crisis — such as natural disasters — and then can be used as food distribution hubs, schools, clinics, or safe community gathering spots for families and kids during non-disaster times.
“The health of our communities depends on our ability to connect to our shared humanity. When we think about Chef Andrés and his incredible team at World Central Kitchen, we’re reminded that even during a year of unimaginable hardship, there are so many amazing people willing — and working tirelessly — to support each other,” Meghan and Harry said in a joint statement. “World Central Kitchen inspires us through compassion in action.”
The first of the four Community Relief Center is currently being built in the Commonwealth country of Dominica, which was hit hard by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. It’s expected to open in 2021. Another center will be opened in Puerto Rico, where World Central Kitchen initiated a “massive-scale food security response” after Hurricane Maria. The final two center locations have yet to be announced, but Andrés and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hope to bring even more Community Relief Centers around the world.
“This year, I’ve seen many, many examples of neighbors supporting neighbors, of communities coming together to get through tough times. At our root, we believe in one another, in doing what’s right for strangers as much as we do for our friends and family,” Andrés said in a statement. “World Central Kitchen and I, we see a world that’s full of dignity, empathy, and humanity. We believe in the healing power of food, and we like to say wherever there’s a fight so hungry people may eat, we will be there. We are more energized than ever to continue this vital work, and we’re proud that it will be hand in hand with Archewell Foundation and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I have come to know both of them well, and believe that their values are directly aligned with what we stand for at World Central Kitchen.”
While Meghan and Harry did not reveal how much money they are contributing to the effort, Nate Mook, CEO of World Central Kitchen, estimated to Bloomberg that each location would require an initial investment of at least $50,000.
This is extremely on-brand for the Sussexes, and the rollout was done perfectly. The idea is to put their names on something, work with respected people in established charities, highlight an issue which often does not get enough attention, and hopefully draw more donations through the Sussexes’ celebrity. They’re also funding this through Archewell. As of yet, we don’t know if corporations or private individuals have already donated to Archewell, and the Sussexes are merely distributing money and grants they’ve already received. It could be that the Sussexes have – as of yet – only put their own money into Archewell. This donation to the World Central Kitchen could be from money they’ve made from Spotify and Netflix.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN, Backgrid.
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