PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — When Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, thousands fled the country to escape the ravages of war. But Portland native Corey Watson went to Ukraine hoping to provide a slice of normalcy in the midst of chaos.
“I was thinking a lot of these displaced kids in shelters need a positive experience. And there’s nothing more positive than pizza, in my opinion,” Watson told KOIN 6 News.
He said he was inspired by World Central Kitchen, the organization cooking for displaced Ukrainians since the war began. When he got to Ukraine, he realized he wanted to take it to another level and show his love for Neapolitan pizza by not only making it but teaching classes on how to make it.
“Children, especially, love it,” he said. “It’s happier than a Happy Meal, in my opinion. It’s something you share. It’s something you’re excited for.”
Watson founded Pizza For Ukraine, a non-profit entirely funded by donors. A Ukrainian mill has made a custom flour for his pizzas and he uses Ukrainian ingredients to make the Italian staple.
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It’s not always easy. His life is at risk daily. On the day he spoke with KOIN 6 News he had just returned from a shelter after the city was bombed.
Air raid sirens are a constant fact of life, but he’s learned to adapt.
“You always need two walls between you and the outside wall, because of shrapnel,” he said. “So I decided I was just going to sleep in the shower. So that was my plan that night.”
Despite this, Corey Watson plans to stay in Lviv indefinitely, responding to emergencies when people are left homeless by making pizza, not war.
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“Ukrainians are incredibly resilient,” Watson said. “I mean, I had a class the next morning after we were attacked in Dnipro, and I asked the kids, ‘How are you doing?’ And they’re like, normal.”