Earlier today we unloaded our NINTH truckload of food. That's tens of thousands of pounds of food. Quite frankly, the costs have been astronomical, due to both the amazing volume of the food and the fact we've had to ship the food in from as far away as Texas, Virginia and Nebraska because there are no local sources of food available.

As fast as we've received the food, our Mercy Chefs team has been converting the food into meals -- tens of thousands of meals. In the last four days, Mercy Chefs has served 66,750 nutritious, hot meals for victims of Hurricane Ida.

And here's my problem...

There's no end in sight to the need. Hundreds of thousands are still without power and some of the parishes we are serving aren't expected to receive power at least until the end of September. That means some areas could wait three or four weeks before they receive power. Plus, we keep hearing from more people and situations where there is critical need.

With expenses mounting to levels we've rarely if ever seen and the need GROWING, the costs and the need are threatening to outpace our financial support and resources.

But we can't turn people away! This is why Mercy Chefs exists -- to provide hot meals and HOPE in the aftermath of disaster. We must meet the dinner demand and I need to prepare my team for thousands of meals tomorrow.

The fact is, just to keep pace with the need through the rest of the holiday weekend and into next week, MERCY CHEFS NEEDS HELP!

Will you stand with us to carry and sustain what we're doing here in Louisiana as we reach tens of thousands of people in a desperate situation? Go here to help sponsor 10, 20, 50, 100, 350, or even 1,000 meals for Hurricane Ida victims in Louisiana who desperately need our help:

Mercy Chefs relies on the faithfulness of a relatively small core of friends. We don't have the vast resources of a government entity or a large non-governmental organization. Everything we do depends on the faithfulness and generosity of friends like you!

In a very real way, every meal we serve can be traced back to a friend like you!

Will you help Mercy Chefs answer the call here in Louisiana? The Lord has placed us right in the midst of the most urgent need. I'm expecting we'll be over 15,000 meals again today and tomorrow. But to keep pace with this demand, we need your help!

Thank you for your prayers, and thanks in advance for your help.

Gary LeBlanc, Mercy Chefs

P.S. We received a note of thanks from a woman who stayed in New Orleans with her children because her husband works at the VA hospital. Her family has been receiving Mercy Chefs meals that friends like you helped provide. Here's what she said:

"We have been fortunate enough to have warm delicious meals every single day from your kind angels who volunteer for your organization. This has been one little slice of heaven for me, my husband, and two little girls in the midst of all of the chaos around us. Thank you for more than just feeding us, but for keeping our hope alive and spirits up! We are eternally grateful for your organization."