Red Cross, restaurants and community kitchens partner to provide more than 83,000 meals to people in the first two weeks after landfall
By Saskia Lindsay
Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Beryl hit the Texas Gulf Coast and as people in southeast Texas return to their homes, the American Red Cross continues to partner with local restaurants, food pantries and community organizations to serve those in need. The Red Cross and our partners have provided more than
83,000 warm meals to local communities.
“People are very thankful, especially when we go to places where the power has been out or there has been major damage,” said Red Cross volunteer Paul Voigt who has been delivering truckloads of food to Red Cross shelters. “They thank us, they bless us, and they want the people providing the meals – whether it’s Cracker Barrel, or Mercy Chefs – that they appreciate
their work, too.”
Red Cross partners Cracker Barrel, Mercy Chefs and Operation BBQ are just a few of the local community partners who, through their generous food donations, have made thousands of deliveries possible.
“Ever since we got the call last week, the Red Cross has been amazing working with us to get these meals out to the community,” said Jim Adams, general manager of Cracker Barrel in League City. “It’s a great partnership. We get the food ready, and the Red Cross gets it out to the folks who are in need.”
Hundreds of people have been seeking refuge in Red Cross and partner emergency shelters in the last week. This is the second time in a little over two months that people in the area have dealt with flooding and prolonged power outages. In early May, high waters inundated Houston neighborhoods and a derecho left heavy damage in the city. When Beryl hit over a week ago, damaged homes were yet to be repaired, and debris was still piled up on some sidewalks
after the earlier storm.
“In this community, there are people who aren’t eating,” said Adams. “There’s no way they can get anywhere to get food, some people don’t have the power to heat up food, some people are in shelters, and many or are
driving to shelters just to take home something to eat.”
In addition to warm meals, the Red Cross has worked closely with community partners to provide more than 62,000 emergency supplies and nearly 2,400 clean-up kits to affected communities. The Red Cross will be in Southeast Texas in the challenging weeks and months to come as people get back on their feet. To learn more about our community partners, click here. To help those impacted by Hurricane Beryl, click here.
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