Celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffmann enjoys cooking, but her real obsession is helping others
If you turn on your television and play any of celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffmann’s cooking shows, you’ll see her surrounded by all types of ingredients, looking impeccable — her polished face, her long hair styled in waves and her pearly white smile.
By watching her teach you how to prepare an Italian bruschetta or an enchilada, you would never imagine she’s the same Colombian woman who’s quick to put up her hair in a bun, slide into jeans and jump into action in areas affected by natural disasters.
“One is made for TV consumption and the other one is the real person,” says Hoffmann, 54.
It all started with Hurricane Harvey in Texas. At the time, Hoffmann was following the daily Facebook posts of fellow chef Ronnie Killen, who was barbecuing brisket, sausage and ribs at one of his restaurants to feed those in need.
One night, Hoffmann logged on and found out Killen had run out of food. So she gave him a call and started thinking and thinking about how she could help.
Hoffmann, who has been living in Miami for more than 30 years, ended up calling in a favor from an ex-boyfriend. With his help, she flew to the Houston suburb of Pearland on a flight transporting 18,000 pounds of donated food.
On her way back, she boarded the plane with 22 rescued dogs. “I think the pilot wanted to kill me,” she said. “It was a smelly flight.”
That’s how it all started.
“I wasn’t really looking to help scrolling through Facebook, but I must say helping becomes a little addictive after the first time,” she said. “It doesn’t take much from me, but it means a lot for others. And once you see that, once you see the impact you can have, you tell yourself, ‘Oh my God, I have to do this forever.’”
A few weeks after Harvey, Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico. Hoffman traveled to the island as soon as she could and helped about 2,000 people evacuate. She also camped out at a mountainous area called Lares, where she established a provisional kitchen with donated equipment and trained the locals on how to use it so they could eat until the government restored power.
More recently, in September, Hoffmann traveled to the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the Abacos and parts of Grand Bahama Island. A few days after the storm’s landfall, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it had rescued 230 people. Meanwhile, Hoffmann’s team had helped about 170 people evacuate, mainly to Nassau.
Hoffmann’s impact has sometimes gone as far as saving lives.
Such was the case of 43-year-old Ismael Ortiz, who a few days after Maria started bidding farewell to his loved ones and thinking, “I’m a goner.” Maria had wrecked his hometown of Carolina near San Juan and he was left with no way of getting his chemotherapy sessions to treat his stage 4 lymphoma.
Ortiz was hiking the hills every day carrying different phones, trying to catch a fleck of internet service. He would then scour social media for an escape. One day he saw a post from Hoffmann’s group, offering to take him to Florida.
“I was doubtful,” Ortiz said. “I told myself, ‘Who knows who these people are? Is this a fraud?’”
But he had no other option, so he hitched a ride to the airport and the next few hours went by like a blur. Next thing he remembers is being in the middle of a sea of white clouds, weeping. He said he only remembers meeting Hoffmann, who hugged him and asked if she could help him in any way.
“I’m alive today because of her,” he said. “It’s a miracle I’m still here today.”
Ortiz traveled to Oregon and stayed there for a few months. Throughout that time, Hoffmann and some of her friends stayed in touch with him. He’s now back in Puerto Rico and his cancer is in remission.
About a month ago, as Ortiz was scrolling through his Facebook, the 41-year-old saw a post from Hoffmann, asking people to donate to her GoFundMe to help the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.
He immediately donated. Then drafted his own post, shared a picture of himself in the plane and started encouraging people to donate.
He wasn’t the only one. About five other families called Hoffmann and asked to help, then started cold calling people to fundraise.
Hoffmann said what she loves most is that the community keeps growing and responds every time a disaster occurs.
They’ve even established a system: Aiteras Aviation Group lends the planes. Accute Air Ambulance and Cleveland Clinic Martin Health arrange for first responders. Hoffmann raises money for fuel. Then countless volunteers, including her neighbors, friends and sister, join in.
“Doing all of this, the coordination, it’s kind of my obsession now,” she said, “but hopefully I won’t have to ever do it again.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 6:41 PM.
