How Chef Marc Murphy Is Helping Ukrainian Refugees
Nearly a month into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, people around the world have come together to help refugees and civilians — including figures in the food scene. A few breweries in the U.S. are supporting Ukraine, for example, by making and selling Pravda Brewery's beer recipes and giving the proceeds to the currently stalled Ukrainian business. Another philanthropic effort saw more than 100 bakers uniting for Hamantashen For Ukraine, donating cookie profits to help refugees make it across the border safely.
The outpouring of culinary support has clearly been inspiring, as top chefs are jumping up to help, too. Through his organization, World Central Kitchen, José Andrés sent volunteer cooks to the front lines to help prepare hot meals for refugees at the Ukraine-Poland border, with plans to serve people in Romania, Moldova, and Hungary. After hearing about the group's efforts, Food Network star Marc Murphy geared up to join the cause earlier this month.
Murphy will remain in Poland 'for a while'
As World Central Kitchen works to serve refugees more than 100,000 meals per day, per Spectrum News, it surely welcomes help from chefs both young and seasoned. For frequent "Chopped" judge and restaurateur Marc Murphy, "feeding people is an essential need," so he flew to Poland to cook for Ukrainians seeking shelter in the country. In addition to feeding refugees in person, Murphy has also taken to social media to fundraise for World Central Kitchen, collecting more than $52,000 so far, according to a press release sent to Mashed.
On March 15, Murphy posted a video to his Instagram account from the Polish kitchen, letting followers know he is OK and thanking them for their donations. Murphy noted that he plans to be there "for a while" as he stirred a giant tub of "bœuf à l'orange" beef stew at least two to three times his size. He's posted a few updates since then about the chefs he's working with, the recipes they've made, and his experience in Poland amid "the suffering going on so close by." According to reps for the chef, these posts have been "instrumental in raising funds and spreading awareness" for aid efforts.