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From Hurricane Katrina to 30 Million Meals: How Mercy Chefs Scaled Compassion Globally To Give Back
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What if a hot, chef-prepared, thoughtful meal could change the course of a disasterous day in your life? That is the calling that changed how victims and first responders of the world's worst events received meals in the middle of disater zones.
Local Chef Gary LeBlanc of Portsmouth, VA joins us to share how Mercy Chefs went from a garage operation fueled by personal credit cards to a global relief network serving more than 30 million chef-prepared meals, without compromising quality or humanity. We talk about the moment Katrina exposed the problem with “keep-them-alive” food, and how a tilt skillet, smart logistics, and a relentless standard turned empty parking lots into working kitchens within hours.
Gary opens the playbook: arrive fast, cook at scale, and always plate with dignity, recognizable protein, starch, veg, and fresh-baked bread or dessert. We dig into the early skepticism from legacy groups, the proof that followed, his wife's incredible support, and the mental-health guardrails that help teams serve through the hardest days, including the shift from search and rescue to recovery. From Asheville’s long tail of need, where a black bear literally followed the bakery smells, to building out permanent community kitchens and maintaining a 12-hour deployment goal, the story is equal parts operational grit and human warmth.
We also explore the Family Grocery Box program (70 servings, recipes, spices, QR codes) designed to refill empty pantries when survivors return home, and the global training model spreading in Honduras, El Salvador, and Argentina. Politics never enters the serving line; one question guides everything: Are you hungry? If this conversation moves you, come closer. Volunteer, donate, or share the episode to help more people find it. Then tell us: what would you cook first when hope needs a plate?
Please support Mercy Chefs here: https://mercychefs.com/
and on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/mercychefs/
Thank you Chef Gary for being a shining example of love and compassion and using your culinary talents to massive scale and for your faith and stedfast leadership with your wife to keep this mission going!
Welcome to the show! Burnt Hands Perspective
Support the show
VIRTUAL TIP JAR: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2388325/support
CONTACT US:
www.burnthandsperspective.com
[email protected]
IG @Theburnthandsperspective
Thank you to our location sponsor, Luce Secondo, located in Summit Pointe in Chesapeake, VA www.lucesecondo.com
For sponsorship opportunities, don't hesitate to get in touch with us directly.
*The views and opinions on this show are meant for entertainment purposes only. They do not reflect the views of our sponsors. We are not here to babysit your feelings, if you are a true industry pro, you will know that what we say is meant to make you laugh and have a great time. If you don't get that, this is not the podcast for you. You've been warned. Enjoy the ride!
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By Antonio Caruana and Kristen CrowleySend us a text
What if a hot, chef-prepared, thoughtful meal could change the course of a disasterous day in your life? That is the calling that changed how victims and first responders of the world's worst events received meals in the middle of disater zones.
Local Chef Gary LeBlanc of Portsmouth, VA joins us to share how Mercy Chefs went from a garage operation fueled by personal credit cards to a global relief network serving more than 30 million chef-prepared meals, without compromising quality or humanity. We talk about the moment Katrina exposed the problem with “keep-them-alive” food, and how a tilt skillet, smart logistics, and a relentless standard turned empty parking lots into working kitchens within hours.
Gary opens the playbook: arrive fast, cook at scale, and always plate with dignity, recognizable protein, starch, veg, and fresh-baked bread or dessert. We dig into the early skepticism from legacy groups, the proof that followed, his wife's incredible support, and the mental-health guardrails that help teams serve through the hardest days, including the shift from search and rescue to recovery. From Asheville’s long tail of need, where a black bear literally followed the bakery smells, to building out permanent community kitchens and maintaining a 12-hour deployment goal, the story is equal parts operational grit and human warmth.
We also explore the Family Grocery Box program (70 servings, recipes, spices, QR codes) designed to refill empty pantries when survivors return home, and the global training model spreading in Honduras, El Salvador, and Argentina. Politics never enters the serving line; one question guides everything: Are you hungry? If this conversation moves you, come closer. Volunteer, donate, or share the episode to help more people find it. Then tell us: what would you cook first when hope needs a plate?
Please support Mercy Chefs here: https://mercychefs.com/
and on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/mercychefs/
Thank you Chef Gary for being a shining example of love and compassion and using your culinary talents to massive scale and for your faith and stedfast leadership with your wife to keep this mission going!
Welcome to the show! Burnt Hands Perspective
Support the show
VIRTUAL TIP JAR: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2388325/support
CONTACT US:
www.burnthandsperspective.com
[email protected]
IG @Theburnthandsperspective
Thank you to our location sponsor, Luce Secondo, located in Summit Pointe in Chesapeake, VA www.lucesecondo.com
For sponsorship opportunities, don't hesitate to get in touch with us directly.
*The views and opinions on this show are meant for entertainment purposes only. They do not reflect the views of our sponsors. We are not here to babysit your feelings, if you are a true industry pro, you will know that what we say is meant to make you laugh and have a great time. If you don't get that, this is not the podcast for you. You've been warned. Enjoy the ride!