BEAUMONT, Texas — On Saturday, Nov. 23, the Mercy Chefs came back to the Beaumont Dream Center to give victims of Tropical Storm Imelda a hot Thanksgiving meal.
“We were here in September for the tropical storm, and Beaumont really tugged on our heart strings,” said Mercy Chef Master, Jay Buchman. “We were just so thrilled when the Dream Center invited us to come back for Thanksgiving today.”
After Imelda, the Dream Center opened their kitchen to the Mercy Chefs to provide food to the victims of the storm. The first responder disaster relief ministry, Mercy Chefs, served food to people whom had no other place to eat in the midst of the flood.
“A lot of the people who are here today, we were all in shelters together. Without the food that they provided us today, we probably wouldn’t have had a Thanksgiving dinner,” said Rev. Michael Smith.
Smith told 12News he and his wife are still displaced, and they haven't been able to return home since Imelda struck in Sept. of this year.
Usually, the Mercy Chefs only report to a location when there’s a disaster. This time, the Chefs came back to “build rapport” with southeast Texas community.
“Typically, when I show up something bad has happened. So when people say that they haven’t heard of Mercy Chefs before, I say 'God bless you,'” said Buchman.
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The Mercy Chefs came to the Dream Center with only one volunteer. The two of them, along with the help of about 20 volunteers from the Dream Center, prepared a hearty Thanksgiving dinner for 300 people.
Other organizations came to show their support for those in need in the southeast Texas area as well. Non-profit organization Augusta’s Angels donated more 100 toys to children of families affected by Imelda.
Although the event took five days to put together, the partnership of these organizations will have a lasting impact on families and children this holiday season.
“If we don’t have any other Thanksgiving, we thank God that this dinner was provided for us and for the community,” said Smith.
