00:00Three weeks after deadly floods devastated the Texas Hill Country, the work is far from over.
00:04Absolutely. Mercy Chefs is still on the ground feeding victims and first responders.
00:09And today they're announcing an additional commitment.
00:11So joining us is Mercy Chefs co-founder Gary Laban.
00:15And Gary joined us a few weeks ago.
00:17And Gary, we're glad to check in with you again on this.
00:19How have the last three weeks been for your teams?
00:22And how many people have you been able to help?
00:25Well, Mercy Chefs has been on the ground since the first day down here.
00:30We've served over 60,000 handcrafted, prepared by chefs.
00:36Beautiful meals for the folks down here.
00:39And we continue to serve.
00:41And like you said, today we made a commitment for a much longer stay.
00:46All right. So tell us about the Beacon of Hope kitchen.
00:49And how did you decide to extend Mercy Chefs' commitment long term?
00:55Well, we see a community down here that's been desperately impacted.
00:59I mean, it is absolutely indescribable what this compact and wonderful community has gone through.
01:08And we know that just being here when it's on everybody's mind and when it's fresh is one thing.
01:14But we also know they're going to need help for a long time.
01:17So Mercy Chefs, with our Beacon of Hope, will be able to stay in the community for a year or more, providing hot meals, but then also providing grocery boxes and other resources for the community.
01:30Job skill training, youth engagement programs, and continue to stand with the people here in Kerr County for as long as it takes.
01:39And Mercy Chefs helps in so many different natural disasters.
01:44It's tireless work that you do.
01:45How does this flood response compare to some others that you have led?
01:50I've never seen a flood like that.
01:53I've seen a lot of things over the last 19 years.
01:57This, just in terms of any disaster, ranks way up in the top for me.
02:03We drive past the river every day going back to where we're staying, and it's heartbreaking.
02:09Every day, I get a little tear in my eye, just seeing how high the water goes.
02:16And then it's quiet, and it's down, and it's calm now.
02:20And they're beginning to get some of the debris out.
02:23But it is still indescribable.
02:28So going forward, what is the best way people can help support Mercy Chefs in your efforts?
02:34I've said this all along.
02:36The very best way that anybody can support the people down here is to pray.
02:41The folks down here have a very hard road in front of them, and they need the country standing with them.
02:46They need to know that they haven't been forgotten.
02:48If you want to get involved in the recovery, you can go to mercychefs.com.
02:53You can find out how to volunteer with us, follow us in real time.
02:57Or support us financially.
02:59It's going to take a lot for us to be here for a year or more.
03:03And we're going to need people to continue to stand with the folks here in Kerr County.
03:07You know, a gift today, we turn into a meal tomorrow.
03:11Gary, you and your team are talented people.
03:13You have a lot of different skills and abilities.
03:16You probably could make more money on a personal level doing things in the for-profit world.
03:21So what motivates you to do what you do every day?
03:25You know, I get such joy out of seeing somebody open one of those to-go containers, and they stop, and they look up with a little disbelief on their face.
03:37I mean, it's not a bologna sandwich or a whole hot dog or just a bag of chips and a hot bottle of water.
03:43It's a beautiful meal.
03:44We're doing all of our baking on site.
03:47We have a pastry chef with us doing desserts.
03:50Those boxes are heavy, and they're loaded with love.
03:53And for me to see that look on someone's face, when they have that moment of joy, when they have that moment of hope, when they see a way for them to move forward.
04:03Because I've cooked the meals for them.
04:05There's no amount of money in the industry that would be worth that to me.
04:09Absolutely. Well said there.
04:12So Mercy Chef's co-founder, Gary LeBlanc, thank you so much for everything you're doing for that community and everything you're going to continue to do to help those in need.
04:24Great stuff from Gary LeBlanc and his whole team there doing tireless work in a lot of challenging situations.
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