José Andrés Cancels SF Talk on Feeding Puerto Rico To Go Feed Carolinas

Humanitarian chef José Andrés was scheduled to speak today in San Francisco about his work in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, but has cancelled his appearance to go feed victims of Hurricane Florence in North and South Carolina.

Andrés is there, as he was in Puerto Rico, with his nonprofit World Central Kitchen. With kitchens set up in Wilmington and Raleigh, he’s reportedly fed more than 80,000 people already, working with FEMA, the Red Cross, and local emergency services.

Ticket holders to Andrés’s local event with the Commonwealth Club, meanwhile, will receive refunds — and it’s safe to expect that there won’t be hard feelings.

“Monday’s live conversation with José Andrés is canceled, as the chef will be on the ground doing what he does best: activating food relief efforts with the World Central Kitchen team for areas affected by Hurricane Florence,” a spokesperson wrote. “Thanks for your understanding, and we’ll share any news of a rescheduled event when and if we can.”

In SF, Andrés was expected to speak about his new book, We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time, released last week. While Andrés won’t be here today, World Central Kitchen has been active in Northern California recently, serving meals to firefighters combatting the Carr Fire in Redding last month.

• CANCELED: Feeding Puerto Rico with Chef José Andrés [ESF]