Earlier this week, Operation BBQ Relief deployed and set up a food production area in downtown Kansas City in response to the need for food for the veterans and homeless population. Several non-profit groups have come together to help this vulnerable population in response to COVID-19. The organizations leading the collaborative efforts are Operation BBQ Relief, Hope Faith, Veterans Community Project, restart, Reconciliation Services, Morning Glory and Team Rubicon. This is a great initiative that Operation BBQ Relief is proud to be part of. We have provided more than 3000 meals to give these men and women a good hot meal.

Operation BBQ Relief is following all the recommended Center for Disease Control and local health guidelines. We have acted deliberately with care and concentration to ramp up COVID-19 deployments. We have been working diligently on establishing COVID-19 protocols and processes that include: sanitizing regularly, medically screening volunteers upon arrival to any OBR deployment site and throughout the day, establishing “clean zones” at our deployment sites, limiting access to food production areas, separating by at least 50 feet areas for receiving, delivery, and distribution of food, and many other safety and security initiatives. We expect to see an increase in the number of meals served out of this location. We feel comfortable that the licensed facility we are using can accommodate a daily capacity up to 3000 meals.

Operation BBQ Relief will launch a new program called the “Restaurant Relief Plan” this weekend by testing the concept in concert with a local restaurant that had to shut down. This program, which we are very excited to put into action, will benefit communities in many ways. OBR will provide the restaurant with the food and some of the necessary supplies to cook 2500 meals per day. These meals will be served by the restaurant to its community focusing on getting them to those in need. The current plan with this pilot restaurant is for it to run for 14 days. Along with the food and some supplies, OBR will pay the restaurant a set amount so the restaurant can rehire some previously laid-off employees.

Once we analyze and make improvements based on the results of this pilot program, OBR’s goal is to slowly and carefully scale the Restaurant Relief Plan to other places across the country. This program, along with serving the one hot meal that matters to those in need, may also have the added benefit of keeping a restaurant from going bankrupt during this time. Additionally, we hope it helps its employees that may not qualify for unemployment benefits in one of hardest hit industries across the USA, the hospitality and restaurant industry. Of course, this program will also help provide much needed meals to seniors, families with members that have been laid off, and other vulnerable populations. This OBR program is meant to keep restaurants from going out of business, help workers, and feed the community.

We need your help. Funding for this program is critical. With your help, we can reach more people, connect with more foundations and companies that want to help, and ultimately get more meals to those in need! Please forward this message on to anyone who you think might want to help OBR help others. Feel free to share it on your social media as well. 

www.operationbbqrelief.org