CANTON, N.C. — The smell of a huge vat of spaghetti drifts over downtown Canton. It’s transferred to a tray, then to plates and then loaded up into a gray SUV. From there, they go out to the victims of Tropical Storm Fred in western North Carolina.
What You Need to Know:
- Gulf Coast Disaster Relief came all the way from Alabama
- The organization delivered meals for anyone working after the flooding from Fred
- They served spaghetti, pork belly, sausage and even jambalaya
“There’s a lot of people. Their refrigerators aren’t working, they’re living out of their ice chest, Gulf Coast Disaster Relief COO Steven Larson said. “For us to come with a hot meal may be something that they can’t do for themselves at this time.”
Larson has been helping run Gulf Coast Disaster Relief from Huntsville, Alabama for more than five years. The organization teamed up with aerospace company Pratt and Whitney to deliver food to people in need after major the major flooding from Fred.
“We’ll just pull over and say, ‘How many meals do you want?’ And we’re not necessarily prejudiced to who we’re giving meals to,” Larson said. “Whether it’s workers, homeowners, helpers, paid labor, linemen, tree companies, we just want to be here for the community and jump out the car.”
That’s exactly what they did, everywhere they saw someone working outside.
“It hits you down deep in your heart to know that you’re making somebody’s day by something simple,” Larson said. “It’s a little bit of work to put this effort together, but it’s well worth it.”
After one delivery was done, it was back on the road for another.
“Hey man! Can I offer you some free supper? Got some spaghetti plates, how many do you want?” Larson shouted to a man whose home was damaged.
The pattern continued until they made deliveries to what seemed like everyone in Haywood County. But they did have a few plates leftover, and Larson is incredibly competitive.
“It’s definitely not like me to come back with food, I like to get it out on the streets,” he said with a smile. “But, you know, we’ve had a lot of volunteers driving this food around.”
When they got back from the deliveries, the day wasn’t over. His team’s preparations for the next day had just begun. The grill sizzled with sausage and pork belly. They even made the Gulf Coast delicacy jambalaya for the next day’s deliveries.