PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A non-profit is lending a helping hand in Nashville after Tuesday’s deadly tornado.
Mercy Chefs is a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves professional prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims and first responders in emergencies and in natural disasters. The organization's headquarters is located in Portsmouth.
Five people are from Portsmouth traveled to Nashville and four other Mercy Chefs came from around the country. They are teaming up with local volunteers to help serve meals.
Mercy Chefs founder and president Gary LeBlanc said crews in Virginia drove down to Tennessee on Tuesday, even bringing a mobile kitchen with them from Oklahoma. They want to feed as many people as they can.
“You see the loss of life. You see the damage to the homes, but more than that, you see the resiliency of the people,” he said.
LeBlanc Facetimed 13News Now reporter Ali Weatherton from the Murrell School where they are preparing meals. He said they are serving to volunteers and anyone affected by the tornado, even students who aren’t currently in school.
He explained, “It’s not the way you want to see people and it’s not the way you want to connect, but it’s good to be able to be here for them.”
All to help someone feel loved through a dark time. Mercy Chefs plan to stay in Nashville as long as they are needed. They say they are working all weekend and into next week and crews plan to reevaluate the need later in the week.
“You watch someone eat one of our meals and you know that you have touched their soul. Not just the soul, but the body. To me, it’s the most humbling and rewarding thing at the same time,” LeBlanc said.