LONDON, Ky. — Mercy Chefs, a disaster relief organization based in Portsmouth, is actively providing aid in Kentucky and Missouri after a deadly tornado outbreak left significant destruction across multiple regions.
Gary LeBlanc, CEO and founder of Mercy Chefs, described the severity of the damage in London, Kentucky.
"There are parts of London that are gone, not just damaged, but they've just been taken away by the storm, completely leveled," he told WTKR News 3's Jay Greene.
Mercy Chefs quickly mobilized following the storm's impact, with teams arriving in both London, Kentucky, and St. Louis, Missouri. The organization has deployed about 16 of its core staff members to London and 12 to St. Louis, where another tornado affected the northern part of the city.
Utilizing their large mobile kitchen called "the beast," Mercy Chefs ispreparing meals for first responders, victims, and volunteers in the affected areas. The chef team includes members from various states, showcasing the organization's rapid response capabilities.
"We consider ourselves first responders," LeBlanc stated, emphasizing the importance of supporting communities affected by natural disasters. "I feel an obligation to be on site with those men and women. They're doing search and rescue with law enforcement that are often working for days without any sleep. And I feel an obligation that they need to be fed with the very, very best food that can be provided. And so we want to get there in real time with those search and rescue teams and first responders and take care of them. Then we move into feeding victims of the storm and then staying long term, we'll be supporting volunteer teams that are here working. It's critical to us."
LeBlanc pointed out the widespread nature of this tornado outbreak, impacting multiple locations, including St. Louis. Mercy Chefs is prepared to deploy additional teams as needed to handle ongoing and arising needs.
Mercy Chefs plans to stay on site as long as necessary to meet the needs of the communities in Kentucky and Missouri.
Those interested in supporting Mercy Chefs from Hampton Roads or elsewhere can find volunteering and donation opportunities at mercychefs.com.
