{"688962":{"#nid":"688962","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Chef and Humanitarian Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Receives Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWorld-renowned chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s believes that food is a powerful tool in \u201cbuilding longer tables\u201d and forging unity in times of crisis. In pursuit of this mission, he founded World Central Kitchen in 2010.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ETraveling to war zones and natural disasters around the world, Andr\u00e9s and the organization have delivered nearly one billion meals to those in need. For his efforts, the internationally recognized humanitarian received the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage, which is awarded to individuals who, by standing up for moral principles at great personal risk, have made a significant impact on society.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe prize honors the legacy of Ivan Allen Jr., former mayor of Atlanta and a Georgia Tech alumnus known for his courageous leadership during the Civil Rights Movement. It was presented to Andr\u00e9s by President \u00c1ngel Cabrera.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cHe has turned culinary skill into a weapon against despair, and his unwavering stand for human dignity amid gunfire and rubble demonstrates unparalleled courage. He confronts famine, war, and disaster with unyielding moral conviction \u2014 not from an office thousands of miles away from harm, but right at the heart of our most pressing global crises,\u201d Cabrera said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGrowing up in Spain, Andr\u00e9s watched as his mother made the most of every ingredient between paychecks, and his father invited all who were hungry to their table. As a chef and a humanitarian, Andr\u00e9s feels that he embodies the ideals instilled in him at a young age.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cMy mother taught me to cook for the few and do it with love. From my father, I learned how to feed anyone who showed up; to care for the many. Those early lessons of the power of food to nurture a family, to take care of friends or people who you didn\u2019t know but that you were welcoming to your longer table anyway, became very important to me,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EAs a sailor in the Spanish Navy, Andr\u00e9s traveled the world before eventually moving to New York City, where he began his career as a cook at Eldorado Petit, a Spanish restaurant. Now, among the most decorated chefs in the culinary industry, as a two-star Michelin recipient, the Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Group operates 40 restaurants. In 2010, when tragedy struck Haiti in the form of a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake, Andr\u00e9s knew he wanted to do more to spread hope through food.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen you go to many situations \u2014 war, hurricanes, or other disasters \u2014 you realize that food and water are one of the most important things that you can do for people. It is the very basis of starting to look to the future with hope,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWorld Central Kitchen was operational in Ukraine within hours of the Russian invasion in 2022, and missions continue today both in Ukraine and Gaza. In 2025, Andr\u00e9s was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden. To an audience inside the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech, Andr\u00e9s explained how World Central Kitchen has illuminated the goodness of humanity as thousands of restaurant employees, volunteers, and community members join together in missions across the globe.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen I go to emergencies, I always realize that in the worst moments of humanity, the best of humanity always shows up. I often feel selfish because when I go, I come back so fulfilled by the hope and empathy I find everywhere,\u201d Andr\u00e9s said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EAlong with his humanitarian work, Andr\u00e9s is an Emmy Award-winning television personality,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENew York Times\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;bestselling author, and educator, and has twice been named one of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ETime\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;magazine\u2019s \u201c100 Most Influential People.\u201d Despite the accolades, his friends say that Andr\u00e9s is most fulfilled when he is helping others; at the event, he was introduced by Jon Riberas, chairman of Gonvarri Steel Industries in Madrid, and Enric Sala, founder and leader of Pristine Seas, a global conservation initiative.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen people think of Jos\u00e9, they often think of the world-class chef. The man who brought the soul of Spain to the American table. But those of us who know him well, and those who have seen him in the mud of a hurricane or the dust of a conflict, know that the apron is merely the armor,\u201d Sala said. \u201cIvan Allen Jr. risked his career because he knew that the human condition Georgia Tech talks about is not just a theory, it\u2019s a responsibility. Jos\u00e9 lives that same responsibility.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EDuring a fireside chat with Cabrera, Andr\u00e9s also spoke about the importance of reducing food waste, the role of food in driving economic development for communities, and investing in programs that train people to staff kitchens and restaurants.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EPrevious recipients of the award include John Lewis, Andrew Young, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Christiane Amanpour.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThanks to a generous grant from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Foundation, the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage includes a $100,000 stipend.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, received the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage for his leadership in providing meals to communities in crisis. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, received the\u0026nbsp;Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u0026nbsp;for his leadership in providing meals to communities in crisis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, received the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage for his leadership in providing meals to communities in crisis.\u00a0"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 13:34:36","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 00:33:37","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679699":{"id":"679699","type":"video","title":"Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Receives the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage ","body":null,"created":"1773966777","gmt_created":"2026-03-20 00:32:57","changed":"1773966777","gmt_changed":"2026-03-20 00:32:57","video":{"youtube_id":"lGKWr7Z_y2Q","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lGKWr7Z_y2Q"}},"679653":{"id":"679653","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera presents the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera presents the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s. Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773754627","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 13:37:07","changed":"1773754627","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 13:37:07","alt":"Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera presents the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s. 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