People thank workers with tears in their eyes

All the food is grilled on-site

Volunteers are humbled to help supplies — Sam ’ s Club , which hosts a national BBQ competition , donated 1,000 pounds of pork — they headed to Joplin .

Stan ’ s heart broke when he saw some people staying in the shells of their destroyed homes . They didn ’ t want to leave because it was all they had left , and they feared losing their last possessions to looters .

Grateful they could offer some sense of comfort , the group set up BBQ stations in a parking lot just north of the tornado ’ s worst damage . As word spread about the makeshift eatery , businesses and individuals started donating supplies — like plates , aluminum foil and trash bags — and food , including a truck full of bread for sandwiches . The volunteers then set up more food tents in damaged neighborhoods and served some 120,000 meals to grateful residents and first responders over almost two weeks .

But as they packed up to

head home , the volunteers realized Joplin wasn ’ t a one-time thing . Disasters , like tornadoes and hurricanes , happen regularly . And often , it takes a while for help to arrive from relief organizations .

Once home , Stan and Jeff , along with another friend , Will Cleaver , decided to fill that gap and started Operation BBQ Relief ( OperationBBQRelief . org ).

“ The food we provide means more than nourishment . It means they are not forgotten .”

Feeding hearts

Today , the organization has some 18,000 registered volunteers all over the country .

Michele Rusek , of Gate City , Virginia , got involved after watching reports of flooding in West Virginia . She told her husband , Joey — a retired cop who owned a barbecue food truck — to volunteer . Then , when a hurricane hit North Carolina , Michele joined him and was hooked .

“ The thought of handing someone that one hot meal that can get them through the day — that meant everything to me ,” says Michele , 53 . “ It was certainly life-changing .” John Wheeler , a volunteer since

2011 from Southaven , Mississippi , loves helping and the camaraderie among volunteers .“ I fell in love with it ,” says John , 58 . “ We do it and we ’ re like , ‘ Man I love

Host a fundraiser

Partner with ShelterBox to provide emergency shelters , solar lights , tools , cooking sets , water filter systems , blankets and mosquito nets to those in need . Go to ShelterBoxUSA . org , click “ Get Involved ,” then “ Do Your Own Thing ” to pick from the variety of ways to fundraise for the cause . spending time with you , and I ’ d love to see you soon , but I hope we don ’ t .’”

To date , Operation BBQ Relief has served more than 11 million meals to people during times of crisis , both natural disasters and the man-made kind . Volunteers have barbecued for funerals of first responders killed in the line of duty , and they have helped victims of explosions .

In July , the organization is expanding its mission , opening a lakeside camp for injured military and first responders and their families to stay and recover .

“ At the end of the day , food is the greatest unifier in the world ,” Stan , 53 , says . “ It ’ s humbling to have somebody thank you for something as simple as a pulled pork sandwich when they ’ re possibly going through the worst time of their life . They thank us with tears in their eyes . That food means more than nourishment . It means they ’ re not forgotten .”

— Kellie B . Gormly

Give a kit

Visit ConvoyOfHope . org , click “ Get Involved ,” and then click “ Build a Kit ” to find out how you can help get hygiene , baby care , cleanup and feminine hygiene kits full of necessities out to thousands of folks after a disaster . Click to donate financially or fill out a form to register how many you ’ d like to mail in .

Donate blood After a natural disaster , hospitals and the Red Cross are always in need of blood to support injured victims . Donating blood is a free way to help save a life . Visit RedCross . org , click “ Give Blood ,” then type in your zip code to find a local place where you can make an appointment to donate .

We ’ d love to print your inspiring story ! Email the story with your name , phone number and a current photo to : WWFeatures @ WomansWorldMag . com . Or mail it to : Scoop , Woman ’ s World , 270 Sylvan Ave ., Englewood Cliffs , NJ 07632 . By submitting your story , you are granting Woman ’ s World permission to use it and your photo in the print magazine , on our website and / or in future special issue publications . Due to a high volume , we are unable to return submissions received .

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