As Russia’s invasion and siege of Ukraine continue, creating a major humanitarian crisis, two downtown Wilmington restaurants are joining an effort to help address the need.
 
One is PinPoint Restaurant, at 114 Market St. The eatery is taking a slight detour from its menu featuring “new American” cuisine to include one Ukrainian dish each week. A percentage of the sales of that item will be donated to an international food relief program, World Central Kitchen.
 
World Central Kitchen is the brainchild of José Andrés, a renowned Spanish chef now based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to be “first to the frontlines,” with chefs in its network providing freshly cooked food to people affected by national disasters. Andrés founded the organization in 2010 as a response to the major earthquake in Haiti.
 
The designated percentage from PinPoint’s sale of its Ukrainian menu feature – plus any other financial donations restaurant patrons want to give – will be sent monthly to World Central Kitchen, according to Cameron Garvey, the restaurant’s chef. The kitchen is currently operating in Odesa, Ukraine.
 
Garvey’s first-out-of-the-gate Ukrainian dish is meatball soup, popular comfort food in its native country. It’s been well received by diners at PinPoint, he said Monday. Tuesday, the restaurant announced its second Ukrainian dish: deruny (potato pancakes). 
 
PinPoint is open for dinner seven nights a week.

A second restaurant, The Kitchen Sink, is offering two Ukrainian menu items this week, with a portion of sales also going to the World Central Kitchen. The eatery, at 622 N. Fourth St., specializes in soups, salads and sandwiches.
 
Local residents can address the Ukrainian crisis in other ways as well.
 
Two area companies, Moto Leader Global and CIL Capital, are filling shipping containers with donations of much-needed supplies to help Ukrainians fleeing to Poland as well as those staying behind to help defend their country.

“Through our shipping partner, ICL, we ship containers to Poland via Antwerp every week,” CIL Capital officials stated in an announcement. “Our partner in Europe is based in Poland with trucking assets and direct supply chain to Poland and Ukraine. We have an established lane, shipping containers directly from the Port of Wilmington to Poland and the Ukraine border. This supply chain is already in place, and in just 13 days, all your donated items will be available for distribution to the Ukrainian people. Please consider donating your new or nearly-new items to this effort.”

Needed refugee supplies include personal hygiene items, sleeping bags, bed linens, winter clothing and small toys. Medical and first-aid supplies are also needed, as are basic clothing, boots, shoes, blankets and red-light headlamps for soldiers. Non-perishable, ready-to-eat food is also needed.

Items can be dropped off Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to CIL Capital at 805 N. 23rd St. 

Moto Leader Global is accepting donations Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its headquarters, 1270 Cedar Hill Road in Navassa.

Anyone wishing to buy supplies online for a direct donation to this effort can order through a special Amazon site. For further information, contact [email protected].

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email [email protected].