After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, chef José Andrés was one of the first to help out on the island; he ended up making more than three million meals for victims of the category 5 storm. His efforts landed him on the list of Time's Most Influential People of 2018 and he was the James Beard House's pick for 2018 Humanitarian of the Year. Now, José is being nominated for one of the most prestigious awards there is: a Nobel Peace Prize.
He was nominated by Rep. John Delaney, and, as The Washington Post reports, Delaney's nomination submission read in part:
Because of Mr. Andrés’s work, millions of people have been fed. This is the most basic human need and Mr. Andrés has proven to be world-class in this essential humanitarian field. With an incredible spirit and an innovative mind, Mr. Andrés is solving one of the world’s ancient problems and supplying world leaders with a new road map to provide more effective disaster relief in the future.
José has helped victims of other recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael. He also helped feed March For Our Lives protestors earlier this year. As Food & Wine notes, the chef spent Thanksgiving serving meals to those displaced by the recent wildfire in California with his non-profit organization World Central Kitchen.
When the Washington Post reached out to the chef for comment, José gave a humble response. "Oh, wow,” he said. "They nominate everybody." The winner of the award will be announced next October.
