Operation BBQ Relief and The Salvation Army to Announce

Major Feeding Milestones on Wednesday, June 17

Operation BBQ Relief to serve milestone meal at food distribution in Reading, PA

 

PITTSBURGH, PA (June 16, 2020) — When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Pennsylvania in mid-March, The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware & Western Pennsylvania divisions sounded the alarm, knowing they couldn’t feed the growing number of Pennsylvanians coming to their doors without help. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s emergency Feeding Task Force and Operation BBQ Relief, a non-profit disaster relief organization, answered the call. The win-win-win collaboration, initially a four-week deal, was extended to eight weeks due to increasing needs. The 3-way partnership resulted in millions of meals served to those needing it most in the Keystone State.

“It was an answer to prayers for us, especially as more people were laid off,” shared Lt. Col. Larry Ashcraft, Divisional Commander, The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware Division.   “As the unemployment numbers soared, we saw unprecedented numbers of people coming to our local corps seeking food.  Operation BBQ Relief provided freshly prepared and pre-packaged meals that we were able to pass on to individuals, seniors and families who really needed it, and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania footed the bill. We’re grateful for the 3-way partnership because it helped us bring hope and relief to communities across the state when they really needed it most.”

The collaboration enabled some Pennsylvania restaurants to re-employ laid off workers who utilized restaurant kitchens to prepare the meals The Salvation Army distributed. In addition to paying for the food, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided refrigeration/freezer trucks to transport the meals to warehouses in Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Lebanon, Pittsburgh and Altoona each week and remain onsite to store the frozen food until it was distributed. 

“Our partnership with Operation BBQ Relief has provided struggling families across the state with warm meals prepared with love and care, and for that, we are eternally grateful as we continue to serve those impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Major Raphael Jackson, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Western PA Division.

Since Operation BBQ Relief and The Salvation Army have partnered together during this health crisis and in numerous prior disaster relief efforts around the world, on Wednesday, June 17 at 9 am, Operation BBQ Relief will announce that it is serving its 7 millionth meal since the organization began in 2011. The Salvation Army has distributed about one-third of those meals over the years. Tomorrow’s announcement will come at a short press conference right at the start of food distribution at The Salvation Army’s Reading Citadel location at 301 S. 5th Street, Reading, PA. Immediately following the announcement, Operation BBQ Relief will distribute the milestone meal to a Reading-area resident in need of food.

 “Operation BBQ Relief is honored to celebrate our 7 millionth meal with The Salvation Army.   We have worked together with The Salvation Army for years ensuring those in need of a hot meal received it, no matter the circumstances.  We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with our friends at The Salvation Army as we continue to address the fight on hunger,” said Stan Hays, CEO, Operation BBQ Relief.

Also, at the press conference, The Salvation Army will announce that it has served more than 8 million meals across Pennsylvania since the pandemic began in mid-March, with over 2 million of those meals coming from Operation BBQ Relief.

Celebrating over 150 years of global service as both a church and a social service organization, The Salvation Army began in London, England in 1865. Today, it provides critical services in 127 countries worldwide. The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of needy families through a wide variety of support services. To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, log on to www.wpa.salvationarmy.org  The Salvation Army … doing the most good for the most people in the most need.

 

About Operation BBQ Relief

Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in May 2011 in response to a need for tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri. Competitive pitmasters from eight different states answered the call to feed displaced families and first responders. Together, they were able to serve over 120,000 meals in a 13-day period. This experience of building a network to feed individuals in need has been the inspiration for Operation BBQ Relief. To date, Operation BBQ Relief has provided over 7 million meals throughout the United States and internationally following natural disasters and through The Always Serving Project, benefiting the homeless, first responders, veterans and servicemen and women.

 

For more information, visit www.obr.org or follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @opbbqrelief.