Operation BBQ Relief pulls into Houston to comfort, nourish with smoked meat

Pit master Jeff Petkevicius, center, volunteers with Operation BBQ Relief in Houston. The volunteer operation aims cook meals that will feed at least half a million people over the course of two weeks as part of the deployment's relief efforts. less Pit master Jeff Petkevicius, center, volunteers with Operation BBQ Relief in Houston. The volunteer operation aims cook meals that will feed at least half a million people over the course of two weeks as part ... more Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Operation BBQ Relief pulls into Houston to comfort, nourish with smoked meat 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Kayla Stewart was on her way to the Toyota Center to volunteer when she passed by some activity in a downtown parking lot off Dallas street. Curious, the Montrose resident pulled in and learned it was the staging area for feeding a Harvey-ravaged Houston. She walked up to a man with a clipboard and said, "Put me to work."

That work might be one of the more unusual relief efforts in Houston - and one sporting flavors dear to the Texan heart. Stewart signed up as volunteer for Operation BBQ Relief, a non-profit organization comprised of competition barbecue enthusiasts who respond to natural disasters by hauling in their smokers and churning out hot barbecue meals.

Members of the organization - coming from Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana and other regions of Texas - began making their way to Houston Sunday and Monday, finally arriving at their staging area at 300 W. Dallas (behind One Allen Center and near the Interstate 45 overpass) on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday morning they began turning a large parking lot into a barbecue village with about 30 volunteers, which by the end of the week organizers expected would grow to 100. Operation BBQ Relief, founded in May 2011 to feed the tornado-stricken Joplin, Mo., community, is capable of cooking up 35,000 plates of food a day. Co-founder Stan Hays of Kansas City, Mo., said his crew will be in Houston for two, possibly three weeks and is prepared to serve more than half a million meals to police, first responders, emergency volunteers and evacuees.

The power of barbecue is profound under normal circumstances, Hays said. In a hungry, Harvey-ravaged Texas it can be transporting. In the end, though, it's a hot meal prepared by caring hands, at a time of need.

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"When you're finally siting down around a table and enjoying the laughs and fellowship around you, you know what barbecue does for people," Hays said. "Our barbecue is not just nourishment. It's the compassion and hope people feel."

More Information To volunteer, register with OperationBBQRelief.org. The organization is currently accepting donations and is currently looking for a portable shower trailer and mobile bunkhouses for workers.

And what the Houston area can use now is hope. Good barbecue doesn't hurt, either. The pitmasters at Operation BBQ Relief are smoking up pork, turkey, and chicken (sorry, no brisket; too expensive) with sides of green beans, corn and baked beans.

"We just want to put good old fashioned barbecue in front of them - for nourishment, for comfort. Anybody in a situation like this is affected in a positive way by a good plate of hot food," said Raines Rushin, a volunteer from Kingwood. "We're not here to fix floods, pull people from cars, or rebuild houses. We're here to make people feel good and provide as much as we can."

The barbecue community, already known for its hospitality, has responded to the organization's efforts with donations and a can-do willingness to pitch in. The smokers, 12 Ole Hickory Pits from Missouri that can cook up to 900 pounds of meat each, are donated; B&B Charcoal in Waelder offered pallets of wood; Seaboard Foods in Kansas came through with the pork. Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood showed up with 1,200 meals to kick-start the effort on Tuesday night.

"We couldn't do this without our barbecue family," Hays said.

And that family came to include volunteers who showed up Wednesday to lend a hand. Tiffany Mitchell of Dickinson came with a friend who is familiar with the barbecue cookers organization. "This is my city and people need help. I can cook, I can clean, I can pass out food. I can do whatever they need me to do," said Mitchell whose community was also hit hard by Harvey. "I had a little damage but that's nothing in comparison to some people who lost everything."

"I came to help out any way I can," said Stacey Moore, also of Dickinson. "I can contribute my time because that's what I have to give right now."

Lauryn Robinson lived in Baton Rouge, La., when thousands fleeing Hurricane Katrina took refuge there. "It's kind of déjà vu. Same story, different verse," said the Houston resident who also showed up to volunteer. "But it's amazing to see the people come out and respond."

Houston will be Operation BBQ Relief's largest deployment. Previously, the group's biggest effort was 313,000 meals served over 13 days during flooding in Hammond, La., last year.

Tim Lambert, a member of the organization from Portland, Ore., flew into Austin on Sunday, hopped in a rental truck and began making his way to Houston. He says he'll stay on site, doing what needs to be done to keep the barbecue meals coming, for as long as necessary.