How a chef fed thousands of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria

Disaster can be a unifying and inspiring force, as the nation has found time and time again.

Last year, after Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, chef José Andrés and the groups he founded, World Central Kitchen and Chefs for Puerto Rico, hustled to feed the capital city's overburdened hospital staff.

But he realized quickly that the entire island needed help, not just the medical workers of San Juan.

Andrés rose to the occasion, finding kitchens all over Puerto Rico to serve those in need.

He has memorialized those efforts in a new memoir, We Fed an Island, and he’s also been commemorated on a wider scale for them, having been named the James Beard humanitarian of the year.

Andrés gave a lengthy interview about the book and his experiences to Fresh Air, which you can listen to below or read on NPR’s website.