A Special Message from Gary LeBlanc...
When I first answered the call to “Just Go Feed People” more than 17 years ago, I never imagined that Mercy Chefs would be serving meals to those caught
in the midst of the world’s greatest conflicts.
Yet here we are. Mercy Chefs is providing practical relief in two of the world’s hotspots –Ukraine and the Middle East. We’ve provided millions of pounds of food along with hot meals to Ukraine, all the way to the front lines. And in Israel, we’re serving hot meals to families in bomb shelters and those who have been forced to evacuate.
+ + The children break my heart…
Whether a region is ravaged by war, a natural disaster, or hardship, it’s the children who break my heart the most. I can’t escape the faces of the little ones who are torn from their homes by conflict, or forced to go to school hungry because of extreme poverty, or left homeless by a natural disaster...
These children know only hunger and hardship. But we can bring them peace and the promise of a better tomorrow through a hot meal and a sustainable supply of food for their family and community.
+ + How a meal changes everything…
More and more, we’re finding that something amazing happens over a shared meal… perhaps even more so internationally
where the need is often so urgent.
When Mercy Chefs Global established our first international kitchen in Honduras this past year, the destiny of beautiful children in that region changed forever! Desperate hunger was replaced with a full stomach so kids can actually learn in school. In 2023, on four continents in 20 nations, we’ve helped feed hundreds of thousands of people. And each meal has carried with it hope of a better tomorrow…. of peace that happens when one person cares enough to help their neighbor.
+ + I want to do more…
In the coming year, Mercy Chefs Global has the opportunity to:
- Establish 3-6 new international kitchens that feed tens of thousands every month;
- Triple the number of people worldwide that Mercy Chefs is feeding;
- Deploy mobile feeding units and distribute more water purification equipment;
- Expand so we can deploy even more rapidly in response to world events.
But to do this, I need to raise over a half a million dollars over and above our normal outreach budget before the end of the year.
+ + Special Opportunity that DOUBLES your year-end gift
Thankfully, some dear friends of Mercy Chefs have extended a $100,000 Year-End Matching Challenge Grant to help us reach this goal. This is great news!
But we must fully match this $100,000 Challenge -- dollar for dollar – by the end of the year.
+ + Will you help us share millions of meals of peace and goodwill in 2024?
Can I count you to help me reach more hungry children and hurting families?
Complete the form below to help Mercy Chefs reach out with peace and hope -- with your gift DOUBLED by the Matching Challenge.
Thanks to this Matching Challenge, the impact of your gift will be DOUBLED:
- Your gift of $100 (doubled) will help us feed more than 50 people;
- $150 (doubled) helps provide 85 hot meals;
- $500 (doubled) will give a chef-quality meal to 285 people!
Thank you so much for your help, and may God bless you.
Your contribution of $50 will be doubled to $100 and helps provide 28 hot meals; $100 becomes $200; a $250 gift will have the impact of $500. Every gift will help us feed more people in the new year. Thanks in advance!
To support Mercy Chefs by check, please print this page and mail it with your check to: Mercy Chefs, c/o Grassroots Action, P.O. Box 9095, Chesapeake, VA 23321 (internal use: /yearend23story)