José Andrés Named TIME For Kids' 2019 Person Of The Year

BETHESDA, MD — José Andrés, a celebrity chef from Bethesda whose nonprofit has fed millions of natural disasters victims, has been named TIME for Kids' 2019 Person of the Year.

The publication says more than half a million votes were cast in the 2019 TIME for Kids Person of the Year poll. The results were posted on Dec. 13.

Andrés owns some of the hottest restaurants in the D.C. area, including Jaleo in Bethesda and Zaytinya in the nation's capital. The decorated Spanish-American chef is also known for his humanitarian work.

Here's what TIME for Kids had to say about this year's winner:

"Andrés founded World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit group that has provided millions of meals to the survivors of disasters and other emergencies. He believes a good meal can change the world.

Most disaster-relief agencies focus on delivering the basics. Often, they give out prepackaged food. But as a world-class chef, Andrés does things differently. WCK meals are fresh and tasty. When TFK interviewed Andrés for an October cover story, he explained why: 'A hot meal represents love.'

In September, Andrés and his team sprang into action when the Bahamas were devastated by Hurricane Dorian. It was the strongest storm to ever hit the islands. To date, WCK has served more than 2 million meals there.

In October, when wildfires rocked California, WCK was on the ground just 36 hours later. The team served people who were forced to evacuate their homes as well as firefighters battling the blazes.

Andrés's current effort is in Albania. A major earthquake hit the European country in November. WCK is feeding people whose homes were destroyed."