PECULIAR, Mo. — Kansas City-area nonprofits are sending help to Hurricane Beryl victims, including Operation BBQ Relief.
The nonprofit has trucks staged near Texas to help by handing out free meals.
VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41’s Olivia Acree
Monday, Operation BBQ Relief said the organization was waiting to find out what locations needed them the most.
After natural disasters, the nonprofit travels to affected communities, sets up their grills and posts on social media where they can be found.
Since the operation started after the tornado in Joplin, the nonprofit has given out more than 11,000,000 free meals.
“I've never experienced this firsthand going through something like this. I've come in on the back end many times, and so I know that there's a lot of emotions gonna go on," said Stan Hays, Operation BBQ Relief co-founder and CEO. "Our prayers go out to everybody that is affected there but also know that we’ll be there with a good comforting hot meal.
"They should follow us on social media. Tell their friends down there to follow us on social media because we post daily where food can be found.”
Operation BBQ Relief needs the KC community’s help. Hays said donations and volunteers are what make their trips happen.
“There's three things everybody can do," he said. "One, you can either donate. If you can't donate, you know, volunteer. If you can't volunteer, share our social media with your friends and family on what we need."
Hays told KSHB 41 on Monday the organization was staged just north of Houston and as far out as around Nashville.
“Basically, within a day's drive to be able to get our equipment to where we need to go and the food and get in there and set up our kitchen in a big parking lot,” Hays said.
Operation BBQ Relief is not the only KC-area organization helping Beryl victims.
KSHB 41 News checked in with Heart to Heart, out of Lenexa, on Monday.
Heart to Heart teams are currently in Jamaica passing out hygiene kits. The organization said it's assessing if teams will be sent to Texas as well.
—
