About Us
Our Story
Every great organization begins with a defining moment that changes everything. Ours started with a simple call—to “just go feed people.” Discover how that moment shaped who we are and why it still drives everything we do today.
Who We Are
Mission Statement
Mercy Chefs is a faith-based, non-profit disaster and humanitarian relief organization. We exist to provide professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims, volunteers, and first responders in natural disasters and emergencies, and we partner with existing like-minded organizations to further their mission by providing food service in underserved communities across the country and around the globe.
Our Approach
The Mercy Chefs Way
We believe “something amazing happens over a shared meal.” In every relief effort, our first priority is to do no harm. Our second is simple: meet the need with excellence and compassion.
Connection
Sharing a meal forges a personal connection on the most basic level. Sitting around the table serves as a reminder of our shared humanity.
Nutrition
Many of our guests are reeling from trauma; others worn down by malnutrition. We meet them with a hot, home-cooked meal to fuel their bodies.
Restoration of Normalcy
Even amid chaos, a single meal can bring a sense of routine. For just a moment, our guests experience stability and comfort.
Rest
Every plate served offers more than food; it provides rest. Our guests are invited to sit, breathe, and receive a meal prepared with love.
Comfort
The compassion—an essential ingredient—shown by our chefs and volunteers assures our guests that someone cares and they aren’t forgotten.
Chef Gary & Ann LeBlanc
Meet Our Founders
Chef Gary and Ann LeBlanc founded Mercy Chefs in 2006 after the devastation and massive impact that Hurricane Katrina left on Gary’s hometown of New Orleans. Gary, being a Louisiana native, felt compelled for the first time in his life to volunteer.
At the time, he was broken by what he witnessed in his hometown of New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation was so intense and widespread. Lives were completely disrupted, and the community was in ruins. After Katrina, he saw first-hand the incredible difference a hot meal could make, but after 35 years in the hospitality industry, Gary was surprised and outraged by the quality of food being served.
Gary knew something more needed to be done, and the idea of serving high-quality, chef-prepared meals in a disaster zone occupied his mind for months afterward. Soon after, Mercy Chefs was born.
Gary and his wife Ann have been serving side by side for nearly 20 years since the Lord called them to “feed people; just go feed people.” From disaster zones across the country and around the globe to serving people right in their own backyard, Mercy Chefs has already served over 32 million meals, with many more to come.
The Hands & Feet
Our Team
Our mission wouldn’t be possible without the people we serve. At Mercy Chefs, more than an organization, we’re a family, united by a shared calling.
