What We Do
Mercy Chefs originated as a disaster relief organization, and this remains our primary focus.
Disaster Relief & Long-Term Recovery
We respond to natural disasters and national emergencies at a moment’s notice. On deployment, our professional chefs prepare high-quality, hot meals on a mass scale—up to 20,000 meals a day—for victims, first responders and volunteers. We aim to be one of the first organizations to arrive following a major weather event and stay as long as needed to meet the needs of a devastated community.
Community Kitchens
Mercy Chefs’ CoFounder, Ann LeBlanc, inspired the development of our Community Kitchens and Outreach division. She recognized our organization’s responsibility to put our resources, volunteers and skills to use outside of disasters to feed food-insecure populations across the country. In 2019, Mercy Chefs launched its first community kitchen in Portsmouth, VA, as the model for a program that has been replicated in four locations so far.
Food Insecurity Response
Mercy Chefs has delivered millions of meals through grocery box distributions. The impact these groceries have made on people’s lives is unparalleled. We’ve expanded this program and continue to find new ways to support people in food-insecure communities through job skills training, single-parent cooking classes, budget-friendly recipe creation and community gardens.
Making It Happen
Without our local church partnerships, mobile kitchens, and dedicated volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to reach our goal of serving up to 20,000 chef-prepared meals a day in disaster zones.
Local Churches
Local churches and Christian organizations become the hub for our emergency deployments and community outreaches. We work in partnership with these organizations to maximize the long-term impact of our work and highlight their existing ministries as a beacon of hope for the community.
Mobile Kitchens
Mercy Chefs sets up our mobile kitchen, refrigerated trailer and a team of professional chefs on-site to plan, prepare and serve restaurant-quality meals for the community members in need. Our experience and mass service capabilities increase the work able to be accomplished by our local partners.
Local Volunteers
Volunteers come alongside Mercy Chefs and our local ministry partners to meet community needs. Their service creates a lasting connection between the volunteers, those we serve and our local partners, strengthening the bond within the community and facilitating long-term ministry engagement.