World Central Kitchen To Expand Operations At Camden Yards

José Andrés talks to journalists last month outside his Washington, D.C., restaurant Zaytinya, which he has converted to a grab-and-go restaurant. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

World Central Kitchen will expand its Baltimore food relief operation on Saturday, Gov. Larry Hogan announced.

The nonprofit, founded by renowned chef José Andrés, will distribute meals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday at Lot H of the Camden Yards Sports Complex.

"This certainly isn't how we planned to be using Camden Yards right now, but at the very least, we can use the space to help families in need during this crisis,” Hogan said in a statement.. “I want to thank Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen for partnering with us, and Chairman Tom Kelso and the Maryland Stadium Authority, for spearheading this community-wide effort. We are all in this together, and we are going to get through this together."

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Working with Revolution Foods, the nonprofit plans to hand out 10,000 to 20,000 individually packaged, fresh meals for Baltimoreans to take home. Lot H is near South Baltimore neighborhoods, large parking lots and the Stadium/Federal Hill Light Rail stop.

“We're honored and proud to start serving freshly made meals from historic Camden Yards in Baltimore, definitely one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country," said Nate Mook, CEO of World Central Kitchen. "WCK has been working with Baltimore City Public Schools to set up family pickup sites at schools throughout the city, but we know that some families need access to meals on the weekend – so we are teaming up with the Orioles, the Maryland Stadium Authority, and the City of Baltimore to help those families."

WCK team members will be supplemented by 50 volunteers and supported by the MSA, which operates Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.

Andrés and WCK were a large part of relief efforts in the weeks and months after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017. They have since responded to disasters and emergencies across the country and internationally. Andrés has turned eight of his New York City and Washington restaurants into soup kitchens.

In addition to WCK, the Salvation Army of Central Maryland is operating a relief hub on Lot C at Camden Yards, providing 10,000 daily meals to needy Baltimore seniors.