Beacon of Hope set to open Aug. 4 in Kerrville

Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based relief organization, announced the opening of a long-term recovery kitchen in Kerr County following the Fourth of July floods.  It is expected to open by August 4.

The Beacon of Hope kitchen will be located at the Light on the Hill at Mount Wesley, 610 Methodist Encampment Road in Kerrville.  The kitchen will serve fresh, chef-prepared meals through December 2025.

Mercy Chefs plans to upgrade the kitchen, absorb some of the retreat center’s staff, and continue cooking meals for the county while building a permanent kitchen facility.  The group’s work at City West Church in Ingram will remain a key distribution site throughout the transition, with no interruptions to meal service.

Mercy Chefs was one of the first nonprofit organizations that stepped in to help the community and first responders following the recent flooding that killed more than 100 people.  Mercy Chefs said the flooding “has intensified an already critical food insecurity crisis in the region.”  Citing Feeding America data, the nonprofit estimates that before the flooding in Kerr County, about 9,300 people were experiencing food insecurity.