Food is an Open Door
What we have found year after year is that “food is the global language of love.” For Mercy Chefs, food is an open door to the needs of the nations. When there seems to be no way, our call to just go feed people has led us into the most hard-to-reach, hurting places on the earth. We believe that “what [the Lord] opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3:7). As we feed body and soul across the country and around the globe, doors continue to open at the right time for the right one who needs a meal made with love.
Hurricane Otis
Hurricane Otis was one of the biggest storms of 2023, making landfall in Acapulco, Mexico, on October 25. Within 12 hours, it grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane, shocking the coast of Mexico. Though the aftermath received little news coverage, Otis wreaked havoc on this popular vacation destination, which primarily funds one of the country’s poorest regions.
We are thankful that Mercy Chefs often finds friends in places we have never been! Local pastors contacted our team to build a connection and jumped into action immediately to support their communities. Initially, all communication and transportation lines were cut off, but God had workers on the ground ready to serve before we arrived. Before deploying our team at the end of October, we began funding two local pastors as they started providing basic resources like bread and bottled water.
Once our team arrived, they began to cook hot, nutritious meals with fresh local ingredients and distribute them along with groceries. For some of those we served, it was their first meal in 10 days. Every day, our team ventured into the city, pausing on sidewalks and serving until everyone had been fed on that block. We then moved down the road to repeat the process.
In Acapulco, we saw elderly women carrying tattered umbrellas for shade and polite street dogs eagerly watching for scraps. Children were excited to get a small loaf of bread and smiled ear to ear when they freely received a bountiful meal and a bottle of fresh water.
Because of your unwavering support, Mercy Chefs stepped in to provide their first hot meal since the storm hit. Many individuals in this region continue to live moment by moment, and we will continue to provide long-term support to these hopeful communities through local church partnerships.
Clarksville, TN Tornado
Trees were decorated, lights hung, and presents purchased—either placed perfectly under the tree or hidden away until Christmas Eve.
Christmas was two weeks away when, on December 9, 2023, an EF-3 tornado ripped through Clarksville, TN. Disasters are terrible no matter the season, but they are especially difficult around the holidays. Within 24 hours, Mercy Chefs was on the ground at the epicenter of the damage, cooking hot meals for first responders, victims, and the volunteers who flooded in from the surrounding counties to help—embodying Tennessee’s nickname, the “Volunteer State.” Local Emergency Management officials reported that nearly 1,000 residential sites were damaged or destroyed. The homes of many families were turned into debris fields and cars were strewn everywhere. It did not feel like Christmas in Clarksville. However, when hope arrives in the form of a chef-prepared meal served to those grappling with profound loss, it initiates a restoration of the soul.
We met a woman named Jailene, whose story serves as a poignant reminder that even amidst the storms, God sees and cares for us. Jailene was in her apartment with her two children when the severe storm hit her neighborhood. While cleaning her home, she received a tornado warning on her phone, and seconds later, the power went out. They took shelter in the upstairs bathroom as the storm destroyed their apartment building. Jailene’s first concern was for her children, followed by their Christmas tree adorned with newly purchased gifts. After the tornado passed, they were met with a scene of devastation—their entire roof had vanished. Yet, to Jailene’s amazement, amidst the wreckage, the tree and gifts were safe. Though they had lost almost everything, they found solace in each other and their Christmas gifts.
After 17 years, we know our mission to just go feed people is still transforming lives. We continue to offer comfort amid chaos. Food is so much more than ingredients on a plate; it embodies hope, peace, and love on someone’s worst day.
Midwest Dual Deployment
In March, Mercy Chefs traveled to Indiana and Ohio to help two communities recovering from tornadoes.
When a tornado ravages a community, food becomes scarce. When our team hands a beautiful, nutritious meal to a disaster victim who has just lost everything, hope and dignity return. This is the very service we brought to Indiana and Ohio in mid-March when EF-3 tornadoes tore through several counties.
On March 14, a tornado ripped through Logan County, OH, taking several lives, injuring dozens, and leaving tens of thousands of people without power in their homes and businesses. In Winchester, IN, several people were left in critical condition while hundreds of buildings were badly damaged or destroyed. Both communities experienced the aftermath of utter destruction.
Mercy Chefs deployed immediately to Winchester, IN, and Indian Lake, OH, in response to these deadly tornadoes when we received calls from local officials. Our first hot meals—consisting of baked pasta, a fresh garden salad with dressing, a homemade pecan bar, and a garlic butter roll—were served on March 17.
The devastation in Winchester, IN, was palpable. Churches were flattened, homes were destroyed to the point of total loss, and businesses were struggling to recover. However, the community in Winchester rallied together to help families sort through the rubble and rebuild. Though the destruction here was immense, so was the hope.
“The tornado not only destroyed her home but also her church and place of work.”
Diane (pictured below on the left) is a survivor we met in Winchester, IN. Diane and her family have lived in the same house in Eastern Indiana for over 30 years. The tornado not only destroyed her home but also her church and place of work. The pot of spaghetti that she’d made for dinner that night was still sitting on the stove as they tried to recover what they could from their ruined home days later. The note tacked on the microwave—a reminder of Psalm 27:13—was the only thing Diane said she put back up after the tornado. It has given her peace in a time of immense chaos. Diane’s story reflects the harsh reality for many families in Indiana and Ohio who either have to rebuild their homes or move on.
When a storm affects two nearby regions, our team often initiates a dual deployment where we serve two communities simultaneously. In addition to the efforts in Winchester, IN, other Mercy Chefs team members were also serving families in Russells Point, OH, who were also hit by a powerful tornado.
Russells Point, OH, situated on Indian Lake, experienced a profound impact—entire neighborhoods and docks were destroyed and large boats were strewn across yards and in trees. During this week in March, both Winchester and Russells Point were experiencing a cold front with a 12°F wind chill. Despite the freezing temperatures, first responders, homeowners, neighbors, and family members were working tirelessly to clear debris and rubble.
Our teams took meals door-to-door. Because many families didn’t have functioning kitchens, these meals, thanks to your support, were essential in their recovery process. Often, these families would ask if they could take extra meals for neighbors who were also facing the same struggles.
At the close of our dual deployment, our team served a combined total of over 17,000 meals through hot meals and groceries for the people of Indiana and Ohio.
Two Years in Ukraine
For over two years, Mercy Chefs has been providing tangible relief on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. The innocent families we serve dwell among shattered buildings surrounded by rubble—a constant reminder of this ongoing attack. This past February, our team on the ground was shocked to discover several hundred survivors who still hadn’t received any relief since the war began in 2022. Three days before we found them had been a nightmare as hundreds of shells and bombs pummeled their homes. War is still their everyday reality.
Thanks to our local partners and dedicated volunteers, we continue to feed hungry men, women, and children stuck in this crisis every day. Additionally, we have been able to provide fuel and repair the water filtration unit for a community’s well so they can have potable water.
Our team on the ground is actively setting up a second frontline kitchen that will provide more opportunities to feed body and soul in communities too far from our primary kitchen. From these kitchens, volunteers prepare hot soup, freshly baked bread, and grocery bags—amounting to millions of meals to date.
Mercy Chefs remains dedicated to reminding the people of Ukraine that they are not forgotten and are deserving of the hope that comes in the form of a meal. Please join us in remembering and praying for those facing the pain of war daily.
Tears of Gratitude
Tijuana, Mexico, has become a beloved place in the heart of Mercy Chefs. We have trained, equipped, and grown relationships with the chefs and community at a shelter there. Many families have fled their homes due to gang violence and extreme poverty. Few have come intending to apply for U.S. citizenship to get a fresh start but have stayed at the shelter because they felt called to serve. They know what it means to feed body and soul, serving hundreds of people, from infants to the elderly, three daily meals out of a kitchen equipped by Mercy Chefs.
Our partners at Hand of Hope built a new kitchen, and Mercy Chefs equipped this massive space with pots, pans, sinks, utensils, and more. Our team has also provided regular food safety training for the kitchen staff and hired a kitchen manager who oversees the daily kitchen production of 1,500 hot meals three times a day! In November 2023, we gifted families at the shelter with family portraits, which our team photographed and printed. We wrote scriptures on the back to bless each family. For most, this is the only photo they have of their precious family.
During our most recent visit in February 2024, we served alongside Hand of Hope and Bethel Global Response to provide nutritious food and desperately needed medical care not only to the people living in the shelter but also to the doctors, nurses, chiropractors, dentists, and volunteers who are tirelessly working to keep this shelter functioning! During this visit, one special moment reminded us of the profound impact of a simple meal. Our chefs prepared a beautiful pork loin dinner and handed a plated meal to a woman who suddenly broke down in tears and said she couldn’t pay for it. When we assured her that our meals for her and her family were gratis (free), she couldn’t stop crying and later told us it was the best meal they had ever eaten.
During some of the darkest and lowest moments of people’s lives, we are meeting them, serving them, and loving them. Thank you for sending us to the heart of the need in places like Tijuana where we can feed body and soul.
Texas Panhandle Wildfires
“Jodi’s eight-year-old daughter, Avery, was particularly excited about the box of macaroni and cheese.”
At Mercy Chefs, we are no strangers to natural disasters of any kind, as we have responded to over 200 since 2006. However, experiencing a great disaster is still always a shock, especially to the people directly in the path of destruction— even more so when the size and magnitude are record-breaking.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire—the largest wildfire in Texas’s history—began blazing on February 26, 2024. The fire burned over a million acres throughout the Texas Panhandle region and western Oklahoma, destroying farms and ranches.
As the fire crept closer to residential areas, Mercy Chefs started packing and loading family grocery boxes that were driven 13 hours from our Storehouse in Tanner, AL, all the way to Amarillo, TX. There, we partnered with Encounter Church to deliver grocery boxes to families returning home to spoiled food in their fridges after evacuating and losing power.
Unfortunately, some families lost everything in the Smokehouse Creek Fire. During our time in Amarillo, TX, we met Jodi, a mom of seven children whose family home was destroyed in the fire. Thankfully, their church stepped in to shelter them and the family was residing in the facility’s basement. We were blessed to provide Jodi and her family with food for the week. They were more than grateful to open and see what was inside their grocery boxes. Jodi’s eight-year-old daughter, Avery, was particularly excited about the box of macaroni and cheese.
Since it was launched in 2020, our Family Grocery Box program has been instrumental in addressing food insecurity. Seeing the incredible impact and tangible good that our Family Grocery Boxes have brought to so many people experiencing hard times has empowered us to expand our Send Hope Home program.
At the beginning of 2024, our team set out to find ways to provide even more meals in our grocery boxes. In February, with the help of our chefs and purchasing team, the impact provided in a single box more than doubled from 20 to 50 meals at the same cost!
Many of these grocery boxes would not be possible without the extraordinary commitment and hard work of our volunteers across the country. We always say something amazing happens over a shared meal, and these Family Grocery Boxes allow families to gather around their table and share a meal. As this program continues to expand, we plan to serve millions of families facing disaster and food insecurity.
Message From the Founder:
Chef Gary LeBlanc (Founder & CEO)
It took our first 10 years to serve one million meals; three years to serve our second million; one year for our third million. To date, we’re well on our way to serving our 25 millionth meal — and every meal has been made possible by caring friends like you.
Not everyone can say they wake up and watch the Weather Channel or have alerts on their phone to be one of the first to hear if a disaster has struck any part of the world. Some ask, “Why go?” In response, I say, “I’m looking for the need.” It’s been almost two decades since I heard the call on my life to feed people; just go feed people. From that very first day until now, I can honestly say that I have seen the impossible happen over and over again.
I have seen doors open into demolished homes and let the miracle of a meal restore that glimmer of hope to someone’s eyes. I have seen doors open to the far reaches of nations I never thought I’d be able to reach with the power of a shared meal. I have seen doors open to the hearts of partners and friends like you who share the same call to love your neighbor, whether they are next door or on the other side of the world. I have seen lives transformed by a meal made with love.
It is profound to me how everything works together, even amidst chaos, disaster, and pain. Even though tragedy brings so much heartache, those tragedies have opened doors for us to feed body and soul. So while we know storms will come, we also know that it’s just another chance to love “the one” right in front of us.
Mercy Chefs would not exist today without all you have done and continue to make possible. Your support has opened doors before us that we could have never imagined. Let’s watch miracles happen together this year.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your faithfulness.
Do you want to volunteer?
If you’ve ever wanted to join us on a deployment as a volunteer, but weren’t sure how to get involved, click the link below to learn more about how to sign up, what to expect, and to learn about opportunities!
FEEDING BODY AND SOUL