Kihei, Maui, Hawaii (Fire) / 33,523 Meals Over 22 Days
When wildfires broke out on the island of Maui in Hawaii on August 8, 2023, it was never a question of if Operation BBQ Relief would respond, but when. Sending a disaster response team to an island was uniquely challenging. Normally we deploy with an extensive arsenal...
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
On Friday, August 4, Operation BBQ Relief volunteers were on the ground at U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in North Carolina, celebrating the U.S. Coast Guard’s 233rd birthday! They served 5,000 meals to active duty and retired Coast Guardsmen, their family...
Alan Nichols
August 7, 2023 is National Purple Heart Day, and we want to share the extraordinary story of one of our longtime volunteers – Alan Nichols. Alan valiantly served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and received the Bronze Star, Army Commendation for Heroism,...
Kansas City, Missouri
On Saturday, July 29, 2023 Operation BBQ Relief served 550 meals at the All In Kansas City Back to School Event, sponsored by Kansas City-area Starbucks stores. In addition to free meals, the event provided backpacks, school supplies, groceries, haircuts, and more to...
Rocky Mount, North Carolina (Tornado) / 400 Meals Over 11 Days
Operation BBQ Relief was founded in May 2011, when competitive pitmasters from nine different states answered the call to feed displaced families and first responders after a tornado struck Joplin, Missouri. Twelve years later we reached our 100th deployment milestone...
Camp OBR – A Dream Realized
Introducing Camp OBR: A Dream Realized For nine years, we’ve held a vision close to our hearts of a healing place, and now it has become a reality. In July of 2023 Camp OBR proudly held its inaugural retreat for Fathers, Sons, and Husbands of fallen military service...