Goodlettsville caterer Chef’s Market recently donated the entire amount of its Chicken Kyiv sales to Chef Jose Andres’ organization World Central Kitchen.

The nonprofit, which serves meals prepared by chefs to communities facing ongoing humanitarian crises and natural disasters, currently has over 330 distribution areas in over 55 cities working to provide food to Ukrainian refugees. A goal to supply more than one million meals has already been met.

Chicken Kyiv was not only added to Chef’s Market menu, but the recipe has also been shared by the catering service for anyone to follow.

One of Chef’s Market owner, Jim Hagy, was enthusiastic to help support World Central Kitchen's mission, "World Central Kitchen is an amazing organization. It has helped in a lot of crises around the world. I think the thing that’s interesting about them is that they try not to provide food, but their mission is actually to cook the food and give the food to people."

World Central Kitchen's efforts especially spoke to Hagy as the plight of Ukrainian refugees reminded him of the displacement of people, including on a more local level, which was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, "For me, being so horrified with how people have been displaced – it was heartbreaking to see that." Having delivery services available throughout various stages of the pandemic, Hagy is qualified to say, "We see the power of creating awareness around those initiatives and to raise money."

The featured Chicken Kyiv dish was chosen because it was a recipe Hagy knew to be a staple in Ukraine, despite being French-influenced in origin, and it is one that he thought people could replicate at home. It is pan-friend with tarragon that Hagy believes sets off the dish by heightening its flavor.

Chef’s Market subsequently raised around $1,500 to be given to World Central Kitchen following the idea to share how to make Chicken Kyiv in addition to selling it.

"I think amazing things happen when people are together over a dinner table. Providing a meal, not just food, really provides a community." Hagy continued, "Food makes a lot of difference to people. It’s for comfort, and it’s for community."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: World Central Kitchen receives generous donation from Chef's Market