This week, our team is wrapping meal service in Little Rock, part of our continuous meal service for tornado victims across two states that began last month when an EF-4 monster tornado hit Mississippi.

As I reflect on the tens of thousands of meals we have served, I am mindful of the helping hands behind every meal...

As with every deployment, we depend on volunteers who partner with us to serve thousands of meals daily. With our staff deployed over two locations, we leaned hard on our volunteer team! From cutting vegetables to plating food to handing out our finished meals made with love, our volunteers make every Mercy Chefs meal a reality.

Our deployment strategy almost always includes connecting with local churches that serve as the backbone for immediate and ongoing relief in these communities. In Arkansas, New Life Church of Greater Little Rock opened their beautiful church to us for meal preparation and distribution. In all, more than 500 volunteers took part in our efforts to feed body and soul!

I'm also grateful for faithful friends like you who have helped sponsor 10, 20, 50 or even 100 or more meals for disaster victims over the past several weeks. 

The fact is, everything we do depends on the generous contributions of friends like you. Every Mercy Chefs deployment is a step of faith. When disaster strikes, we move as quickly as possible to meet the need, trusting that friends like you will be inspired to lend a helping hand of support.

While our active hot meal deployment is wrapping up, our work of supporting these communities isn't finished. An important part of our mission involves staying connected with communities impacted by disaster and helping to find ways for these communities to access ongoing relief and support. Often, Mercy Chefs establishes longer-term relief and recovery efforts that can extend months or even years to help these communities.

Thank you again for your partnership, and please keep praying for the people of Mississippi and Arkansas who still face a long road of recovery. 

May God bless you richly,

Gary LeBlanc, Mercy Chefs