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“You would be amazed at just how many people have shown up here to come help this little old guy when all he really wanted to do was go out there and cook 1,000 meals and come home and nobody would ever know a thing about it,” Burke told CNN. “The experience has already changed me, there’s no question about it. It confirms for me any doubts I ever had in my own faith.”
Burke’s inspiration came from a Sunday sermon just days after the storm devastated the region on September 27. With years of experience as a cook, he devised a plan to provide a traditional southern Thanksgiving feast. The menu included turkey, ham, pork, collard greens, potatoes, dressing, cornbread, stew, and an array of homemade desserts.
“I’ve seen the devastation these people have been faced with. We know that there are people still living in tents and trying to stay warm. People don’t have anything. Some people had their homes being washed away in the river, and then there’s so many people still missing in certain places,” Burke said. “What do you do about that? All we can do is go out there and do what we know to do and try to help people as much as we can.”
As word of Burke’s efforts spread, more people joined the cause. Through social media platforms like Facebook, he connected with others eager to make a difference. The volunteers pooled their resources, organized logistics, and secured donations to make the feast a reality.
For weeks, the team worked tirelessly, collecting baby food, winter clothing, first aid supplies, and children’s toys to support families in need. The aid effort, known as Operation Thanksgiving Blessings, has since grown into an ongoing mission to help hurricane survivors rebuild their lives.
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“I have a better perspective that there is still good in the world, and that giving back is even more important than ever,” said Angie Wade Acree, one of the organizers of the event. “Our hope and prayer is that people will read the story and realize that they can step up and help people in their own community, and that it takes starting with your neighbors to help each other.”
As communities continue to recover, efforts like Burke’s serve as a beacon of hope. They remind us all that even in the darkest times, acts of kindness can light the way forward.
