PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Mercy Chefs, a Portsmouth, Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims and first responders in emergencies and natural disasters, deployed to South Texas to serve meals to victims, volunteers and first responders of Hurricane Hanna.
Mercy Chefs returned to South Texas for the first time since 2014, when it served Thanksgiving meals to residents.
The organization delivered restaurant-quality meals beginning Wednesday, July 29 throughout McAllen, Mission, Palmview and Sullivan City, Texas after Hurricane Hanna dumped more than 15 inches of rain and caused extreme flooding near the Texas-Mexico border.
The organization recently responded to Hurricanes Dorian, Maria, Florence and Michael, the Carr fires, the Houston floods and tornadoes in Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio. It continues to service the Panama City community after Hurricane Michael.
Gary LeBlanc founded Mercy Chefs founded in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when he went to New Orleans to volunteer and realized disaster relief could be done better.
Mercy Chefs has served over 5 million meals since its founding and has served nearly 3 million meals in response to the coronavirus pandemic across the country since mid-March, with more than 1 million meals going to people in need in July alone.
To support Mercy Chefs in its current relief efforts, visit www.mercychefs.com. Follow Mercy Chefs’ Facebook page for the latest updates on its relief efforts.
