The Operation BBQ Relief Leadership Award is presented to a volunteer each year who others willingly follow, trust, and seek to emulate. The 2023 Leadership Award recipient, Steve Anderson, is just that. He volunteers hundreds of hours each year and inspires all he serves with.
Steve first heard about Operation BBQ Relief when floods hit Waverly, Tenn. in 2021.
“I saw Operation BBQ Relief on the local news and knew that it was something that I wanted to be part of. It combined my love of barbecue with helping people in times of need,” Steve said.
His first disaster deployment with Operation BBQ Relief was to Hazard, Ky. in 2022 to help provide meals after floods hit the area. It was during this deployment that Steve experienced his “OBR Why” moment, a moment our volunteers refer to that defines why they choose to continue volunteering with Operation BBQ Relief despite the hard work and long hours it often requires.
“I went out into the field in a van with meals and we drove into the ‘hollers’ looking for people who needed a hot meal. It was there that I had my ‘OBR why’ moment,” Steve said. “We gave a hot meal to a lady whose 95th birthday was the next day. She hadn’t had a hot meal in 3-4 days. She was sitting on her porch with a box of Ritz crackers and said that her neighbors needed the food more than she did. We convinced her that we had plenty for all of them. Seeing the joy and comfort that having a hot meal brought to her really made an impression on me. I knew I wanted to keep volunteering with Operation BBQ Relief after that.”
Steve now serves as our Area Coordinator for Tennessee and has deployed to provide meals after disasters in Port Charlotte, Fl., Yazoo City, Miss., Wynne, Ark., Maui, Hawaii, Live Oak, Fl., and Clarksville, Tenn. He has also volunteered at many events with The Always Serving Project, our “Blue Sky” day program that serves military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
“Volunteering with Operation BBQ Relief is one of the most fulfilling things that I have ever done in my life. You get to serve with amazing people who share your passion for making a difference in the lives of victims, first responders, and others impacted by something out of their control,” Steve said. “You can help make the worst day of their life better with a hot meal. Just seeing the look in people’s eyes and the smile on their faces when they receive a hot meal is priceless.”
To learn how you can join our volunteer family, visit https://operationbbqrelief.org/volunteer-obr or download the “OBR Volunteers” smartphone app.
