You may recall that during the early days of the pandemic, I said one of the best ideas I’d heard was for the government to fund restaurants to feed frontline workers and others in an increasingly large cohort of the hungry. The government didn’t do it. But, with the help of countless local organizations around the country, Jose Andres did. “The Trump administration did not create a 21st-century WPA. So, AndrĂ©s raised money from corporations, philanthropists and celebrities to establish what he grandly called the Restaurants for the People program. Over the next six months, WCK, which has 200 employees, reports it paid out nearly $110 million to 2,400 restaurants, which served more than 10 million meals in 350 cities in 35 states. In total, through partnerships and its own kitchens, WCK served more than 30 million meals.” Chef Jose Andres Embraces the Chaos. Andres is a hero of the pandemic. But the many stories about him should be read as broader stories about the thousands of people around the country who stepped up when their communities needed them.