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Health & Fitness

Mercy Chefs: Food for those in immediate need

No recipe today, folks. I'd like to present an organization that is actually doing something worthwhile. Consider donating to them, if you would be so kind. Contact info at bottom of article.

Mercy Chefs


Mercy Chefs is a non-profit, faith based, charitable organization committed to serving high quality professionally prepared meals, during local, state and national disasters and emergencies.

To accomplish this we utilize state of the art mobile kitchens and organizational resources that stand ready for a rapid response deployment to multiple locations. Serving victims, first responders and volunteers is at the core of Mercy Chefs’ calling to show God’s compassion and hospitality by feeding those in need.

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To achieve the goals of each mission, we train church based volunteer groups, engage Christian hospitality industry professionals as Mercy Chefs and use our strategic alliances with supporting government and non-government agencies.

Having well-established partnerships with other faith-based and government organizations allows our expertise in professional food services to have a stronger response that provides immediate food service relief to devastated communities.

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The vision for Mercy Chefs was born while R. Gary LeBlanc was leading a team of responders in the days after Hurricane Katrina. The call to feed people and share the Love of Christ led him to birth Mercy Chefs and solely dedicate it to provide high quality and professionally prepared meals to victims, volunteers and first responders.

There is something about a shared meal that brings people together. When we hand someone who has lost everything a hot meal, it blesses us. To see them take a moment of pause…mentally, emotionally and physically…and eat a delicious meal in the midst of devastation, we feel that we’ve made a difference that day. - R. Gary LeBlanc


We are dedicated to exemplifying Christ’s compassion and mercy to any and all that need assistance and relief in times of disaster and devastation. We have highly skilled Mercy chefs in Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma North Carolina and Arizona. We have volunteers in these and many more states and are always expanding our base of volunteer chefs, cooks, industry professionals and helpers. Mercy Chefs is donor based 501(c)3 organization.

Year in Review

In 2012, we served over 150,000 meals following the disasters in Kentucky, Virginia, Louisiana and New York. We also have a continuing meal service operation in Haiti where we served an additional 100,000 meals to the very impoverished people there.

This was our busiest year ever! And I believe that in 2013, the need for Mercy Chefs' response teams will increase even more.

Our goal for Mercy Chefs in 2013 is to be ready to deploy more quickly and effectively when disaster strikes. We have very doable plans in place to see that our goal is reached in the first quarter of the coming year.

We need your support once again to have the kitchens, food supplies and equipment needed to mobilize rapidly. Our goal is to raise $90,000 by the end of the March so we are deployment ready and go feed people in the midst of disaster!

Note from Gary

In December we were honored that Wal Mart announced that Mercy Chefs was among a dozen disaster relief organizations from across the country to be honored for "helping individuals and families get back on their feet after natural disasters."

In all, Walmart received more than 21,000 nominations for its "12 Days Of Giving" campaign. What a great honor and privilege to be recognized by the Walmart Foundation for the work you made possible through Mercy Chefs this year!

Because of you, Mercy Chefs has been able to respond to disasters and provide tens of thousands of hot meals to victims and volunteers.

In very practical terms, your financial support made it possible for me to mobilize our kitchens and reach more people than in any year in our history.

This award from Walmart would not have happened without the faithful partnership of friends like you.

Awesome News

Mercy Chefs is featured in the January 28th edition of Women's World Magazine. They followed Mercy Chefs during its disaster relief efforts in New York after Hurricane Sandy. Pick up a copy!

CONTACT: http://www.mercychefs.com/contactus/




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