Louisiana man throws barbecue for displaced Baton Rouge flood victims

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In the wake of a devastating flood that ravaged the homes of thousands of Louisiana residents and killed at least eight people, one man is being hailed as a hero for providing some culinary relief.

On Monday, Christian Dornhorst—a Louisiana native who lives across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge—went to Sam’s Club with his wife daughter. The Dornhorsts spent over $850 on 108 pounds of brisket, reports the Washington Post-- but he wasn’t planning you’re average summertime backyard barbecue. He was on a mission to help feed those who had lost their homes—or worse—during the flood.

“The Lord put this in my heart at 7 in the morning, when I was at work,” Dornhorst, who works at Dow Chemical, told the Washington Post. He told his boss about his plan and was granted the day off.

“By 9, I had the food at Sam’s Club. By 11, my wife had seasoned it up.”

Dornhorst, who owns a smoker and a pick-up truck, began preparing the meat was ready to take off—but then he realized he wasn’t sure exactly where to go. He eventually found someone who directed him toward the Media Centre-- a soundstage and production facility that’s currently being used as a temporary shelter for thousands of displaced victims.

Once parked, Dornhorst helped other volunteers fire up two small grills and was serving grilled chicken and sausages throughout the afternoon. His brisket, which had been smoking all day, was done by about 7 p.m.

According to the Post, all 108 pounds of it was gone in just 20 minutes.

After he finished food service, Dornhorst, an army veteran, and his wife took their daughter inside the temporary shelter.

“I brought my 4-year-old so she could see what it’s like when you don’t have a bed,” he said

He hopes Dow will sponsor another meat run and that he'll be able to take more days off soon to go back to the site and cook for another day.