PRESS & MEDIA
Our mission is to just go feed people—both in and out of disasters. Learn the latest news from our most recent efforts all over the world.
In the News
Help in the Wake of Hurricane Idalia
Mercy Chefs mobilizes volunteers to help Florida in the wake of Hurricane Idalia…
Mercy Chefs Serves Tornado Victims
Mercy Chefs is in Tennessee serving victims of a tornado that ravaged the town of Clarksville.
Louisiana struggles to recover from Hurricane Laura.
What Comfort Food Means to Me
Mercy Chefs brings meals to the conflict zone in Israel
ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos spoke to Mercy Chefs VP Carl Ladd as the organization works to provide more than 1,000 chef-prepared meals a day to those devastated by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Mercy Chefs Founded in 2006 by Gary LeBlanc
Founders Bios
Chef Gary LeBlanc
Founder and CEO of Mercy Chefs
After 35 years in the hotel restaurant business, Gary LeBlanc unexpectedly discovered his passion while volunteering during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was there in his hometown of New Orleans that Gary first saw the incredible difference that a hot meal can make, but as a volunteer he was surprised and outraged by the quality of food being served.
Though the victims and first responders were grateful for every meal, there was little to no food safety being practiced by the other relief agencies. It was all about fast, cheap and quantity. In the months following his efforts in Louisiana, Gary became inspired to the point of distraction by the idea of excellent food service in a disaster zone.
It was this spark of inspiration that led to the 2006 founding of Mercy Chefs, a national, faith-based nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves high quality professionally prepared meals to victims, first responders and volunteers in natural disasters and national emergencies. For 17 years now, Gary has led Mercy Chefs into more than 30 states across the country and 20 countries around the world, serving over 25 million meals since 2006. As Mercy Chefs’ reach expands, Gary consistently remains committed to his original mission to “Just go feed people.”
Ann LeBlanc
CoFounder and President of Mercy Chefs
Advocating for nutritious meals and supporting families in need aren’t new to Ann LeBlanc, who felt a call to dedicate her life to service after her very first deployment with Mercy Chefs to Conklin, N.Y., in 2006. Now, 150 disasters and 17 years later, Ann continues to serve as the heartbeat and grounding force of the Mercy Chefs team, always there to lend a helping hand and a hot meal to those in need.
Prior to joining Mercy Chefs full time two years ago, Ann gained 25 years combined experience at The Christian Broadcasting Network and Regent University in executive-level leadership in fundraising, event planning and marketing. Over the years, she has honed those skills to help Mercy Chefs skyrocket to new heights.
Ann embodies the essence of advocacy in everything she does. In her role at Mercy Chefs, Ann’s passion and commitment can be seen and felt by the people she serves. Whether she’s serving meals to single moms, elderly shut-ins, immigrant families, or the newly unemployed, Ann always goes above and beyond – prioritizing the soul and story behind people and meeting individuals where they are.
Latest Releases
October 21, 2022
Mercy Chefs Named Finalist in the Second Annual Land Rover ‘Defender Service Awards’
Mercy Chefs Submission Video for Defender Service Award: https://player.vimeo.com/video/764103089?h=713ec8e73d Public voting open through Nov. 6 on LandRoverUSA.com; Mercy Chefs could win SUV and $25,000 Today, Mercy Chefs was named a finalist among the community service organizations category in the Land Rover “Defender Service Awards.” The Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian…
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October 13, 2022
Mercy Chefs Has Served More Than 200,000 Meals in Response to Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian Images and b-roll: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19DkrugTe4Ncf15u9f–K544YpSlZUtji Within 24 hours of Hurricane Ian making landfall in Florida, Mercy Chefs was in Fort Myers serving meals – and hope. Two weeks later, the Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves chef-prepared meals in national emergencies and natural disasters, has served…
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September 28, 2022
Mercy Chefs Responding to Hurricane Ian
credit: NOAA Florida Response Is Expected to Be the Largest in Organization’s History Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves chef-prepared meals in national emergencies and natural disasters, is deploying to Florida in response to Hurricane Ian. The nonprofit has been preparing all week for…
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September 20, 2022
Mercy Chefs Responding to Hurricane Fiona Victims in Puerto Rico with Hot Meals and Clean Water
On the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria devastating Puerto Rico, Mercy Chefs is returning to the U.S. territory, this time to aid the victims, volunteers and first responders of Hurricane Fiona. Virginia-based Mercy Chefs has a longstanding history of providing relief in Puerto Rico. The nonprofit responded for months after…
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July 30, 2022
Mercy Chefs Deploys to Eastern Kentucky Following Historic Flooding
Mercy Chefs Deploys to Eastern Kentucky Following Devastating Floods Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves chef-prepared meals in national emergencies and natural disasters, has deployed to Whitesburg, Kentucky to provide daily meal service following the devasting flooding in the eastern part of the state. Mercy Chefs will serve its first meals this evening, July 30,…
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