Last night, we served our final meal for the search and rescue teams that have worked tirelessly here in Surfside since Day One.

This deployment grabbed our hearts like few others -- especially in seeing how the emergency teams took to their task. The men and women on the search and rescue teams we have encountered have shown us strength and commitment we have never experienced. Day after day (and night after night) they went back to the site of the collapsed condominium and dug by hand through the rubble. They often wore 75 pounds of gear and worked 12 hour shifts through oppressive heat and humidity, high winds and drenching downpours. 

We're honored that every beautiful, hand-crafted meal Mercy Chefs served was used as fuel for these heroes. When we were asked to be the exclusive provider of hot meals for teams, I pledged to stay until their work was done. When they were on the pile, we were cooking meals. In all, your support helped Mercy Chefs provide 14,860 meals during this three-week deployment.

As our team was getting ready to leave, we visited the memorial that has been constructed for the victims. An Associated Press photographer captured our volunteer coordinator, Molly (who worked long hours to make sure we had teams at our base of operations both day and night), at the memorial wall....

We also added one of our Mercy Chefs' t-shirts (signed by our team) to the memorial...

We’ve witnessed the heartbreak, devastation, and determination of this community, and we’re honored to have played a role in the recovery efforts.

Thank you so much for your prayers and faithful support. We felt your prayers during this deployment! There were many challenges -- incredible heat, torrential downpours, a threatening hurricane, and organizing overnight shifts to name a few. Every step of the way your prayers and support sustained us.

Thank you for making this mission of mercy a blessing to so many.

God bless,

Gary LeBlanc

P.S. If you didn't have an opportunity to financially support our Surfside deployment, would you consider making a gift today? These deployments -- along with our ongoing efforts that have reached millions this year alone -- depend on the generosity of friends like you. Go here to help Mercy Chefs, and thanks in advance for your partnership!