Local woman helps provide meals for L.A. fire victims

By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer

 

Mountain resident Rosemarie Labadie had learned about Mercy Chefs several years ago and signed up on their website to volunteer with them.

The fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena brought Mercy Chefs to California to provide meals to fire victims. When Labadie got a call from them, she was ready to help.

Mercy Chefs was founded in 2006 by Chef Gary LeBlanc after the impact of Hurricane Katrina in his hometown of New Orleans. As a professional chef, LeBlanc saw the incredible difference a good hot meal could make.

Le Blanc’s motto at Mercy Chefs is to provide “the highest quality of meals to the most people in the most difficult of circumstances in their time of greatest need.” He wants his meals to make a positive impression on the recipients in their time of suffering, so they are beautifully presented, tasty, chef-prepared meals, in to-go packaging.

The organization, although small, has made a big impression on the world stage by going where the need is immense and continuing to prepare meals for as long as the need continues. For example, they are still preparing and serving meals in Asheville, N.C., after Hurricane Helene hit in October 2024.

Since Mercy Chefs’ founding, they have responded to more than 200 disasters in 33 U.S. states and territories and 31 countries with the help of more than 15,000 volunteers.

“This experience with Mercy Chefs was truly an exciting and fulfilling volunteer opportunity,” said Labadie, who added, “I’m glad I went; I hope my schedule allows me to return.”

The first day Labadie arrived to help, she was amazed at their professionalism, efficiency and the friendliness of their employees. They had rented a former culinary school with all the necessary equipment in Pasadena, plus what they brought with them, and were immediately ready to assist. They came prepared to serve meals and they knew how to give clear and precise directions that were easy to follow and encouraging as the volunteers worked.

The first day Labadie helped prepare 1,100 lunches – not just sandwiches and chips, but delicious hot meals for those who needed comfort food. They prepared a penne pasta dish with pepperoni and cheese, delicious salads including fresh spinach and arugula with tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries, a Hawaiian dinner roll and delicious fresh-baked cookies.

“I was amazed they would not send out any broken cookies, as they said these people deserve the best,” said Labadie.

The food was well prepared, tasty and, when packaged, looked amazing as well. After working her shift that day, the dinner was being prepared and she noticed they were preparing warm peach cobbler for dessert. The meals look restaurant quality when served, although in a nice to-go container.

On the second day she volunteered, they were cooking and serving barbecued pulled pork, plus mac and cheese, another amazing green salad and pumpkin chiffon for dessert, with a dinner roll.

They work for an eye-appealing presentation. It’s good-looking comfort meals that are nutritious, and tasty. “We served fire victims of the Eaton Canyon fire area near Altadena, ATF, sheriffs and two fire departments,” Labadie noted. At the last minute another 200 meals were needed and Mercy Chefs smoothly switched menus and were able to fulfill the need with another delicious looking entrée.

“I hope to be able to go again,” Labadie said. “Maybe I’ll go on a day without electricity up here; it would be a more beneficial way to spend my day than sitting in a cold, dark house or office. Altadena is just an hour away, just north of the 210 Freeway, but the impact on others and yourself may be life-changing.

“If you are looking for a good place to get involved or where to donate, I suggest Mercy Chefs,” she concluded. “They are a small organization that makes a big impact and a major difference in the lives of so many, when faced with a disaster. I recommend them.”

“Something amazing happens over a shared meal,” Chef LeBlanc often says.

For more information on Mercy Chefs, visit their website, www.MercyChefs.com.