When Hurricane Isaias struck the Florida Panhandle in early October 2026, it displaced thousands of families and left more than 900,000 people without power. In the critical days and weeks that followed, access to hot meals became a pressing need for survivors. Answering a call from one of its partners, Churches of Scientology Disaster Response CSDR) Volunteer Ministers mobilized to support Operation BBQ Relief, a nonprofit that deploys mobile kitchens and volunteer pit masters to provide hot barbecue meals after disasters.
The partnership, which falls under the umbrella of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), underscores the growing emphasis on coordination among relief groups. CSDR deployed Volunteer Minister teams from the Tampa Bay area to Okaloosa County, where they worked alongside Operation BBQ Relief staff at their base for days and evenings. Their tasks included cooking, preparing food boxes, unloading and loading trucks, labeling boxes, and assisting with distribution. Together, they helped serve some of the over 270,000 hot meals provided until power was restored.
Doyle Mills, the lead CSDR Volunteer Minister, noted that the behind-the-scenes work is often overlooked. “We often forget or don't know about all that goes on behind the scenes in bringing relief to those impacted by disasters,” Mills said. “In this case, Operation BBQ Relief needed support at their base in not only cooking the hot meals, but preparing all the food boxes, unloading and loading trucks, labeling boxes and helping with the food distribution.” He added that despite the hard work, helping to serve the meals was “a real joy.”
The collaboration exemplifies NVOAD’s guiding principles of Communication, Coordination, Collaboration, and Cooperation—the “4Cs.” By combining the “yellow shirts” of the Volunteer Ministers with the “red shirts” of Operation BBQ Relief, the effort demonstrated how diverse organizations can pool resources to meet urgent community needs. Such partnerships are vital in the immediate aftermath of hurricanes, when speed and efficiency can mean the difference between hunger and nourishment for thousands of families.
Churches of Scientology Disaster Response was formed after 9/11 and is based in Washington, DC. Its Volunteer Ministers have responded to hundreds of disasters over the years, including tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. The Volunteer Ministers program, a religious social service sponsored by the Church of Scientology International, was created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and operates in over 170 countries with the motto “Something Can Be Done About It.”
The Isaias response highlights the critical role of volunteer-driven organizations in filling gaps left by overwhelmed government services. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the ability of groups like CSDR and Operation BBQ Relief to work together—coordinated through NVOAD—will be essential for building community resilience and ensuring that no survivor is left without a hot meal.
