Cooking for a Cause: Chef Matt Adler Leads Fundraising Event Benefitting Victims Impacted by Venezuelan Earthquake

Friday July 10, 2026

On Wednesday, June 24 two earthquakes measuring 7.5 and 7.2 magnitude devastated northern Venezuela, destroying full city blocks, killing several thousands and impacting more than 26,000 people. In the aftermath, Cucina Morini head chef and World Central Kitchen Relief Corp member, Chef Matt Adler snapped into action, assembling a super squad or DC culinary icons — including MVT’s Mandu Chef Danny Lee — for a 30-person benefit dinner at Osteria Morini in Navy Yard. Reservations for the dinner sold out in two hours, ensuring $4,500 in ticket sales alone was raised to support World Central Kitchen’s efforts on the ground in Venezuela.

Reflecting on the evening, food journalist and producer Gaby Montes de Oca posted on her recap video on Instagram:

While the earthquakes in Venezuela have affected the community profoundly and left many unhoused and forever changed, the solidarity of the DC chefs community, the generosity and excellence of their dishes, and the opportunity to come together for something greater of us is something I’ll always remember.

Our goal is to inspire more chefs to keep cooking, and sharing the power of a meal to raise funds as we, Venezuelans and our community, continue to rebuild our beautiful country.

Congrats to Chef Adler and the whole team who made this possible! We’re continuously impressed by the generosity and spirit of the DC culinary community and are so proud that so many talented chefs choose to call Mount Vernon Triangle their gastronomic home.

Watch the Benefit Recap Video and Donate to World Central Kitchen here!

*If paying with a credit* card…**		*If paying with a debit* card…**
And would like to donate this amount:	Then consider donating this amount to help cover transaction fees:	And would like to donate this amount:	Then consider donating this amount to help cover transaction fees:
$5.00	$5.28	$5.00	$5.34
$10.00	$10.45	$10.00	$10.43
$15.00	$15.63	$15.00	$15.51
$20.00	$20.80	$20.00	$20.60
$25.00	$25.98	$25.00	$25.69
$30.00	$31.15	$30.00	$30.78
$40.00	$41.50	$40.00	$40.95
$50.00	$51.85	$50.00	$51.13
$75.00	$77.73	$75.00	$76.56
$100.00	$103.60	$100.00	$102.00
$125.00	$129.48	$125.00	$127.44
$150.00	$155.35	$150.00	$152.88
$200.00	$207.10	$200.00	$203.75
$250.00	$258.85	$250.00	$254.63
$300.00	$310.60	$300.00	$305.50
$350.00	$362.35	$350.00	$356.38
$400.00	$414.10	$400.00	$407.25
$450.00	$465.85	$450.00	$458.13
$500.00	$517.60	$500.00	$509.00
$750.00	$776.35	$750.00	$763.38
$1,000.00	$1,035.10	$1,000.00	$1,017.75
$2,500.00	$2,587.60	$2,500.00	$2,544.00

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Cooking for a Cause: Chef Matt Adler Leads Fundraising Event Benefitting Victims Impacted by Venezuelan Earthquake

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