Operation BBQ Relief serving up hope as Aroma Park residents recover from EF-3 tornado

Nearly a week after a tornado ravaged Kankakee County, Illinois, help continues to pour in.

One multi-agency resource center is now set up after moving into a church in Aroma Park, as nonprofits have rolled in from all over the Midwest.

The local forest preserve office is serving as the home base for one of the nonprofits, Operation BBQ Relief. The smoker has helped provide hot meals for hundreds of people over the weekend and again on Monday.

When Mother Nature brings her worst, people like Larry Musch bring their best. He's a volunteer cook with Operation BBQ Relief.

"It's just something I can do. I'm not good with a chainsaw. I'm not good tarping a roof. I can cook food," he said.

The nonprofit is on the ground in Aroma Park, feeding people impacted by last Tuesday's EF-3 tornado.

"We are thankful because we are alive," said Oscar Garcia.

Garcia's home was badly damaged in last Tuesday's storms.

"I'm really thankful for all the help we've been getting around here, so," he said.

In Aroma Park, the helpers are helping each other, too.

"BBQ, protein, you can't beat it. This is the best eating you can have in a disaster," said Team Rubicon volunteer Ryan Keith.

Keith spoke about the food while on break with fellow volunteers from his team.

"We're here now, cleaning up all those trees that are on the ground. They're still leaning on houses, whatever the case may be. When people don't have insurance, and they don't have a way to take care of it themselves," he said.

It's a hot meal and then back to work in the cold.

"It was worse cooking yesterday in the wind than it is today," Musch said.

Operation BBQ Relief served up 200 free meals on Monday. Musch isn't just cooking for strangers, but for his neighbors in Indiana.

"Last night, we're over in Lake Village bringing food over to those people cause that's 20 minutes from home," he said.

Disaster always brings out the helpers, as the worst in Mother Nature brings out the best in humanity.

Operation BBQ was founded in 2011 after the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri. They've served up more than 14 million meals since then.

They'll be back out firing up the smoker once again on Tuesday morning.