José Andrés
He credits his activism to Steinbeck. Inspired by the iconic words created for Tom Joad - Wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there - José Andrés founded the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in 2010. From that time, chef Andrés and the WCK has been "there," serving free meals to millions of the hungry and dispossessed in the aftermath of disasters throughout the world. In the US, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, the WCK served more than 30 million meals in 400 cities (including Salinas, Steinbeck's birthplace).
On November 30, to accept the Steinbeck Award, chef Andrés joined Sean Penn, the 2004 recipient, for "A Conversation on Giving Back," a virtual event moderated by Nick Taylor and broadcast by the Commonwealth Club. This event was later rebroadcast by 230 radio stations nationwide, reaching an audience of one million.
