Nonprofit Serving Hot Barbecue Meals Following Tornado
Updated: Operation BBQ Relief has relocated to DelMonaco Winery to be closer to the disaster area. They will also be taking meals to victims and volunteers in the field. Volunteers can register to help at https://operationbbqrelief.org/volunteer/.
COOKEVILLE –Operation BBQ Relief is headed to Cookeville and will be at Lowe’s starting today, March 5, to serve meals while Lowe’s hands out disaster relief supplies. They are prepared to serve 500 meals to victims and first responders and will start serving at 10 a.m.
Operation BBQ Relief will be bringing a cook station and plans to stay in Cookeville up to one week, if they can acquire enough help. Volunteers can contact Operation BBQ through their Facebook page, and donations can be sent to https://operationbbqrelief.org/apis/volunteer/donation.
Operation BBQ Relief is a nonprofit organization started by champion barbecue pitmasters that has grown to become the nation’s premier charity in providing hot meals following natural disasters. The Operation BBQ Relief team of champion pitmasters was recently awarded the 2020 Reserve Grand Champion Overall title at the prestigious World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest in Houston on Feb. 29, 2020. Operation BBQ Relief combines its expertise in cooking and catering BBQ meals with its ability to quickly mobilize teams into any area where disaster disrupts the lives of families and communities.
“We monitored the tornado in Nashville and immediately called our leadership team together to begin plans for deployment. We have always had a passion and love for the craft of BBQ, but it’s not just about food. It’s about what a meal can do for people in their time of need. BBQ is comfort food that provides hope and compassion during the most difficult time,” says Stan Hays, Co-Founder and CEO, Operation BBQ Relief.
Operation BBQ Relief was established in 2011, following a destructive tornado in Joplin, MO. Since then, the organization has deployed to disasters including Hurricane Michael in the panhandle of Florida, Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, North Carolina, Hurricane Harvey in Houston and most recently Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Through deployments in 60 disaster-stricken communities and 26 different states across the country, Operation BBQ Relief has served 3 million meals, with the help of more than 14,000 volunteers.