Tuesday Afternoon:

Steve,

I'm issuing an URGENT CALL. We are facing a fire disaster in northern California as the Dixie Fire continues to spread rapidly.

+ + We had to evacuate, but we're still serving meals...

The fire is moving so quickly that the fire came within THREE MILES of the church where our Mercy Chefs team was spending the night. We had to EVACUATE that facility under a mandatory order. The fire is actually spreading around the area where we are deployed and has cut off one of the access roads. THIS HAS MADE CONDITIONS EXTREMELY TENSE IN THE SHELTERS for the families who have been forced to evacuate their homes. Many of the people here don't know if they've already lost their home or are about to lose their home. And now, the FIRE IS CLOSING IN even more!

This is the closest our Mercy Chefs' team has ever been to the front lines of a wildfire. The smoke is almost unbearable. Our staff and volunteers have to wear N95 masks all day, but you can't sleep with an N95 mask so smoke inhalation is a serious concern. 

Despite all this, Mercy Chefs is serving THREE MEALS DAILY to the evacuated families in the shelter, and we're picking up meals for the police officers who are serving here.

That's why I'm issuing this URGENT CALL. I'm asking every Mercy Chefs friend to do two things...

First, PRAY for our team, the emergency workers, firefighters and the families. WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS. This is an extremely dangerous situation that can change in minutes. We need prayer covering and protection.

Second, please prayerfully consider how you can help Mercy Chefs TODAY as we serve the families who have been forced to evacuate from this massive fire.

These families are in danger. Our staff is literally on the front lines. I'm asking you to go the EXTRA MILE and match or exceed your best gift to Mercy Chefs this year. The situation is THAT CRITICAL!  Every gift will help. Go here to make your tax-deductible gift:

The situation is very critical. The fire is growing and moving, threatening more families and more communities. This is starting to look like a multiple-week deployment and we could see the demand for Mercy Chefs meals grow significantly. That's why I urgently need your help.

Again, we have never been deployed so close to the front lines of a wildfire. As a result, we are closely monitoring the very SAFETY of our team. Our team has been instructed to stay packed and ready to relocate at a moment's notice if the fire shifts again. If we have to move, we will move WITH the families so we can continue to meet their needs. 

Thanks for your prayers. And thanks in advance for partnering with Mercy Chefs as we serve those impacted by this fire.

God bless,

Gary

P.S. The smoke burns the eyes and is so thick that the streetlights are coming on in the middle of the day. What looks like clouds in the sky are actually billows of smoke. The sky takes on this strange orange glow even at high noon. The families in the shelter are in great distress. Many don't know if they will have a home to return to after the fire recedes. The hot meals you are providing are a godsend. The quality of the meals makes a huge difference. Thank you for making it possible for Mercy Chefs to serve these families who are victims of this wildfire. Go here to sponsor 10, 20, 50 or 100 meals that we'll be serving this week: