Beirut Volunteers Cook 2,200 Meals Daily for Displaced

In the Geitawi neighborhood of Beirut, a former petrol station has become a beacon of hope for thousands of displaced families. Every day, around 40 volunteers gather at Nation Station, a community kitchen, to prepare 2,200 hot meals for people who've lost their homes.

The makeshift kitchen was born from crisis. After the devastating Beirut port explosion in August 2020, Nation Station converted the old petrol station into a community hub.

Now, with over 800,000 people displaced across Lebanon, the volunteers have doubled their efforts. They're cooking massive pots of bulgur and tomatoes, packaging meals, and delivering them to 15 schools that have opened their doors as emergency shelters.

Among the volunteers is Hanna Dulière, just 14 years old. "In this country, we all need a certain amount of solidarity, otherwise nothing will hold together," she says while helping prepare meals alongside adults.

French volunteer Soledad André-Amra explains why she keeps coming back. "We feel very powerless about what is happening. It is important to be able to do something, even if it is not much."

The numbers tell a sobering story. Nearly one in seven of Lebanon's 5.8 million people have been forced from their homes, with nearly 126,000 now living in shared shelters.

Co-founder Joséphine Abou Abdo admits they can't meet every need. "Most people have nowhere to go, the shelters are full," she says. "Many NGOs have doubled their efforts, as we have, but it is not enough."

The Ripple Effect

What started as one community kitchen is now part of a growing network of local volunteers stepping up where government resources fall short. Each hot meal represents more than sustenance. It's a reminder that ordinary people can create extraordinary change when they work together.

These volunteers aren't waiting for someone else to solve the crisis. They're showing up, cooking, delivering, and proving that solidarity can take root even in the hardest soil.

Even when the needs seem overwhelming, 2,200 meals a day means 2,200 people who won't go hungry tonight.