A year ago a chef friend (Samantha Buyskes) from the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York told me she was headed south with a Jeep full of donated meats and vegetables and her fire truck. I picked up the phone and called Darci DeWulf, who was feeding the masses at Nanostead/Marshall Relief Alliance, on the outskirts of Marshall, with minimal equipment, strong arms, and a string and a prayer. Together, we assembled a lineup of chefs, musicians, and community, and with the participation of the numerous dedicated volunteers at Nanostead, executed a series of dinners to offer hope and a boost of spirits at a time when Marshall’s energy was flagging from the initial weeks of mucking out after our devastating visit from Tropical Storm Helene. (You can read more about this in Johnny Casey’s Dec. 24

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