HARTFORD, Conn. — Jamie “The Bear” McDonald is on yet another humanitarian mission, this time helping in the aftermath of the earthquake in Morocco.
McDonald, the owner of Bear’s Smokehouse – a group of barbeque restaurants, is a volunteer for the World Central Kitchen which helps to feed victims of both humanitarian disasters and natural disasters.
“The roads are very bad,” said McDonald, speaking via Zoom on a 95°F day at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. “So we are getting food any way we can – we started with helicopters, we’ve used donkeys, we’ve used anything we can to get food to the people.”
For McDonald, this month marks the fourth time he has deployed to lend his culinary talents to the World Central Kitchen.
"The first was in Poland for Ukraine (relief), and then Kentucky when we had all that flooding there, and then Turkey for the earthquake and now here (in Morocco)," he said.
McDonald has spent over a week helping in Morocco and said he continues in his desire to help those in crisis simply because he can.
“I have the ability and the means and when you see people and see what they’ve been through, and you hand them that first hot meal and they smile and they are so thankful that’s it – it’s about being of service," said McDonald.
World Central Kitchen operates humanitarian missions all over the globe, to learn more about their work click here.
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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