ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — In Elkhorn, while some volunteers are helping with cleanup, others are helping local businesses keep everyone fed.
- Javi’s Tacos and Porky Butts BBQ, partnered with nonprofit Operation BBQ Relief, handed out meals at The Relevant Center.
- One 11-year-old, Aria Herman, helped assemble food on Saturday and Sunday.
- If you would like to volunteer with Operation BBQ Relief, you can sign up here (required): https://operationbbqrelief.org/volunteer-obr/
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Kelsey Mannix at the Relevant Center in Elkhorn where the volunteer efforts continue to help not only the Ramblewood neighborhood across the street but others throughout the area.
We have more tents set up back here as you can see, as well as some local businesses and nonprofits donating not only their time but also resources to volunteers and also neighbors.
“This is the opportunity for all of us restaurant owners to come together and help out,” Javier Trujillo, owner of Javi’s Tacos said. “When this happened… I have a couple businesses in Elkhorn so we definitely want to be there, help as much as we could.”
Javi’s tacos took the morning shift serving breakfast burritos, and nonprofit Operation BBQ Relief, partnered with Porky Butts BBQ, to give out hot lunches.
Anybody that is here to give a helping hand, we make sure they are fed,” Tara Wright, Operation BBQ Relief’s Iowa Area Coordinator said. “They have their proteins, vegetables.”
“We just want to give back to people who were really impacted from the storms,” Blane Hunter, owner of Porky Butts BBQ, said. “Yesterday at 7 o'clock in the morning I drove past here to head into the restaurant to pick up food to come back, and it blew me away the amount of people that were here with shovels and rakes and chainsaws and just stepping up to help their community. Makes you feel good and it makes you proud to be a Nebraskan.”
Operation BBQ Relief is always looking for volunteers; we'll have a link for that on (our website).
And of course Omaha Rapid Response will still be set up here at The Relevant Center coordinating those volunteer efforts (at) 7:30 every morning as long as there's a need.
On top of all the volunteers donating their time, local businesses are answering the call as well.
3 News Now reporter Kelsey Mannix spoke to one young volunteer whose love for food led her to help a couple of restaurants assemble meals.
Kelsey: What did you think when you saw what happened after the storms?
Aria Herman, 11-year-old volunteer: I was sad ‘cause other people’s houses were destroyed. Yesterday morning we went to Saint Pat’s–that’s where Javi’s was–and I just hopped in the back and did churros all day. Today we worked at Javi’s again and we assembled chip bags, and now we’re wrapping sandwiches.
Kelsey: What do you think when you see how many people have come out to help their neighbors?
Aria: It’s great. Everyone wants to help.
