‘It’s humbling’: Virginia nonprofit serving meals after devastating Texas floods

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As catastrophic flooding devastates communities across Texas, a Virginia-based nonprofit is stepping in to offer something many survivors haven’t had in days: a hot, chef-prepared meal and a moment of peace.

More than 100 people have died statewide due to flash flooding, and Kerr County in Texas is among the hardest-hit areas. Roads have been ripped apart, entire homes swept away and families are now left sorting through the wreckage of their lives. First responders on the ground describe scenes that are impossible to forget.

During that chaos, Mercy Chefs — a disaster relief organization based in Virginia — deployed within 36 hours of the storm. On their first night in Kerr County, the team served 500 meals to search-and-rescue crews. Since then, they’ve been serving 3,000 to 4,000 meals daily, including exhausted emergency workers and flood victims.

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“We want to stand with people in their moment of need and provide the very best we can do,” said Gary LeBlanc, founder of Mercy Chefs. “I don't know how to do search and rescue, but I can cook and I can feed people. And that's what Mercy Chefs is all about.”

Each meal is chef-prepared and intentionally made with care — not mass-produced, but fresh and nourishing. LeBlanc said the goal is to offer more than sustenance: to provide comfort, hope and dignity in the middle of crisis.

For many responders and survivors, the meal becomes more than food. It becomes a pause.

“It’s very humbling to be able to feed someone who’s lost everything,” LeBlanc said. “To be part of that moment where they can contemplate their circumstance, maybe for the first time.”

Mercy Chefs plans to remain in Texas for as long as they’re needed, partnering with local volunteers to keep meals flowing.

To learn more or support their mission, visit Mercy Chefs' website.