The national news cycle may have moved on from the deadly Texas floods, but volunteers with Mercy Chefs are working to make sure the people of Kerr County aren't forgotten.
00:00Three weeks after deadly floods devastated the Texas Hill Country, the work is far from over.
00:04Absolutely. Mercy Chefs is still on the ground feeding victims and first responders.
00:09And today they're announcing an additional commitment.
00:11So joining us is Mercy Chefs co-founder Gary Laban.
00:15And Gary joined us a few weeks ago.
00:17And Gary, we're glad to check in with you again on this.
00:19How have the last three weeks been for your teams?
00:22And how many people have you been able to help?
00:25Well, Mercy Chefs has been on the ground since the first day down here.
00:30We've served over 60,000 handcrafted, prepared by chefs.
00:36Beautiful meals for the folks down here.
00:39And we continue to serve.
00:41And like you said, today we made a commitment for a much longer stay.
00:46All right. So tell us about the Beacon of Hope kitchen.
00:49And how did you decide to extend Mercy Chefs' commitment long term?
00:55Well, we see a community down here that's been desperately impacted.
00:59I mean, it is absolutely indescribable what this compact and wonderful community has gone through.
01:08And we know that just being here when it's on everybody's mind and when it's fresh is one thing.
01:14But we also know they're going to need help for a long time.
01:17So Mercy Chefs, with our Beacon of Hope, will be able to stay in the community for a year or more, providing hot meals, but then also providing grocery boxes and other resources for the community.
01:30Job skill training, youth engagement programs, and continue to stand with the people here in Kerr County for as long as it takes.
01:39And Mercy Chefs helps in so many different natural disasters.
01:44It's tireless work that you do.
01:45How does this flood response compare to some others that you have led?
01:50I've never seen a flood like that.
01:53I've seen a lot of things over the last 19 years.
01:57This, just in terms of any disaster, ranks way up in the top for me.
02:03We drive past the river every day going back to where we're staying, and it's heartbreaking.
02:09Every day, I get a little tear in my eye, just seeing how high the water goes.
02:16And then it's quiet, and it's down, and it's calm now.
02:20And they're beginning to get some of the debris out.
02:23But it is still indescribable.
02:28So going forward, what is the best way people can help support Mercy Chefs in your efforts?
02:34I've said this all along.
02:36The very best way that anybody can support the people down here is to pray.
02:41The folks down here have a very hard road in front of them, and they need the country standing with them.
02:46They need to know that they haven't been forgotten.
02:48If you want to get involved in the recovery, you can go to mercychefs.com.
02:53You can find out how to volunteer with us, follow us in real time.
02:57Or support us financially.
02:59It's going to take a lot for us to be here for a year or more.
03:03And we're going to need people to continue to stand with the folks here in Kerr County.
03:07You know, a gift today, we turn into a meal tomorrow.
03:11Gary, you and your team are talented people.
03:13You have a lot of different skills and abilities.
03:16You probably could make more money on a personal level doing things in the for-profit world.
03:21So what motivates you to do what you do every day?
03:25You know, I get such joy out of seeing somebody open one of those to-go containers, and they stop, and they look up with a little disbelief on their face.
03:37I mean, it's not a bologna sandwich or a whole hot dog or just a bag of chips and a hot bottle of water.
03:43It's a beautiful meal.
03:44We're doing all of our baking on site.
03:47We have a pastry chef with us doing desserts.
03:50Those boxes are heavy, and they're loaded with love.
03:53And for me to see that look on someone's face, when they have that moment of joy, when they have that moment of hope, when they see a way for them to move forward.
04:03Because I've cooked the meals for them.
04:05There's no amount of money in the industry that would be worth that to me.
04:09Absolutely. Well said there.
04:12So Mercy Chef's co-founder, Gary LeBlanc, thank you so much for everything you're doing for that community and everything you're going to continue to do to help those in need.
04:24Great stuff from Gary LeBlanc and his whole team there doing tireless work in a lot of challenging situations.
