When asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper that “this is a natural disaster,” he asked why the government did not do much to help food insecurity in the United States.
“I think the federal government is missing action with so many announcements that are pretty on paper, but when you go to the ground, you see things not working,” he said. “One way to feed the hungry is to make sure we create political will. We need to redefine what it means to care for Americans.”
The interview is part of “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute”. Andres is currently working with its nonprofit World Central Kitchen on the Colombian island of San Andres to feed survivors of Hurricane Iota, the final name of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season – and the strongest of the year.
Over the past few years, the award-winning chef has responded to many major crises. After an earthquake devastated Haiti, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and wildfires erupted in southern California, exacerbating the refugee crisis on the Venezuelan border, as he quickly mobilized volunteer cooks at each of those locations to prepare food for thousands of people.
Now, Andres is leading the charge of providing food relief to the elderly, the suddenly unemployed and leading health care and essential workers during global corona virus outbreaks.
‘We must do better’
The Covid-19 crisis was a major challenge for the global central kitchen, Andres said.
“Before we know it, the same thing is happening in Oakland, California,” he said.
In April, the organization convened another chef relief team to isolate passengers and staff on a cruise in Auckland.
As the epidemic spread, Andres undertook food relief efforts to help many families who are now struggling to keep a table. He said the World Central Kitchen was the first time in their lives that they found a flood of people coming in for food.
“They are having a hard time because they lost their jobs because they could not get unemployed for different reasons, or because they never got unemployed,” he said. “It’s a bit wrong, (this) should not be the American way. We can do better. We should do better.”
‘The Best Way to Do It’
Andres points fingers at both Democrats and Republicans for their political structure, forcing many Americans to rely on charities and soup kitchens.
“This is actually Mitch McConnell’s Kentucky, where 13% of people say they don’t have enough to eat, as well as Nancy Pelosi’s California which is 11%,” he said. “This is an issue that should not happen. The Congress, the Senate, the White House – they should keep all the resources we have.”
“For every dollar you spend feeding someone, you put the economy back to work,” he said. “This is the best way to do this.”
During the interview, Andres took a moment to recognize the heroes who inspired him.
He cited Fatima Castillo, a Guatemalan volunteer who helped feed her community around the world Central Kitchen following the eruption of the volcanic Fuego in 2018. He also praised the famous chef Marcus Samuelson, whose work in catering to those in need is not well known in restaurants.
The chef also added pride to young people who have seen progress around the world.
“It makes me happy – because I see young people being willing to go in, not caring about who you are, your religion, your skin color, what your English-speaking accent is,” he said. “They have one goal in mind: to ensure that they can help with relief and provide relief and hope with a smile.”