Operation BBQ Relief in Joplin
by Jeff Stith on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 12:54am
Update on feeding folks in Joplin - We have four or five large capacity smokers. Should be enough. Can use some FEs to hold food once done. Again, we will be in the mall parking lot at 7th and Rangeline with the Farmers Insurance command center. You can MapQuest the location of the intersection. I plan to be in Joplin by noon on Tuesday. Stan is already in the area. If you are stopped by National Guard, let them know you are with the KCBS/Kookers Kare people working with Farmers Insurance to cook BBQ for displaced families and rescue workers. Looks like we have both pork and chicken donated and probably buns, water and single serving chips. Will verify that in the morning. Kookers Kare will be helping with other items. Have plenty of hickory donated per Tim Gray. May need charcoal. Pork may arrive sometime Tuesday. Chicken (50,000 pounds from OK Foods) arrives on Wednesday. Will feed any displaced families and rescue workers who come to our location. We will also obtain the locations/addresses of all temporary shelters set up in area churches, schools, etc. and deliver meals to those locations each day at lunch and dinner. Plan is to have 5 to 10 people there each day, Tuesday through Monday of next week. We can rotate out in shifts depending on when you can be there. Please post on the BBQ Relief page I will create here on Facebook and invite you to join when you can be there. I will be able to check as we will have WiFi through the Farmers Insurance satellite. My cell is (816) 590-5057 but I may or may not be able to take calls depending on what we're doing or if we even will have good cell coverage as towers are down.
PLEASE - we can use as many ServSafe Certified people as possible to avoid problems with the health department!!! If you are not certified through ServSafe, go to
www.ServSafe.com and purchase the online class. Mine for Missouri was only $15 and I completed the course, took the test and printed my certificate in less than 90 minutes! I think all of us arriving on Tuesday have done this. If you are coming later, there should be plenty of time! Don't forget to print your certificate after you take the test and bring a couple of copies with you just in case.
What should you bring? Some suggestions:
* ServSafe Certificate (couple of copies)
* Snacks and drinks for yourself
* Coolers
* Cambro / Carlisle
* Thermapen
* Single use gloves (preferably nitrile)
* Any rubs and/or sauces you wish to donate!!!
* Pillow / blanket / chair (some sleeping in their car - limited space for RVs)
* Rain gear (it's supposed to rain from time to time)
* If you have them and wish to contribute, full size aluminum pans and foil/lids
* Change of clothes or two and comfortable shoes
* Bus tubs
*Full size sheet pans
* Coleman Hot water heaters
* water storage containers (FILLED AT HOME!!! There is a boil order in Joplin!)
* Generators (bring plenty of gasoline)
* Camera (I plan to take some photos - I fully expect seeing things that will remain with me the rest of my life)
Safe travels to you all and thank you for your support of the citizens of Joplin.
