Keith Lee is bringing more than his highly anticipated Midwest food tour to Gary, Indiana. The viral food critic is using the first stop of his tour to bring attention, resources and relief to families still recovering from severe storms and widespread power outages across Northwest Indiana.
THE WORD
- Keith Lee is kicking off his Midwest food tour in Gary, Indiana after learning about the extended power outages impacting the city.
- Lee and The Salvation Army are partnering for a community relief event on Monday, August 24 to assist families throughout Gary and Lake County.
- The relief effort will include flood-recovery cleanup kits, disinfectants, detergent, gloves, sponges, mops and additional household necessities.
- Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton matched Keith Lee’s financial donation to help provide additional supplies to storm survivors, according to The Salvation Army.
- More than 20,000 customers in Gary remained without power as of August 19, according to reporting cited by AfroTech.
- People who want to help can donate nonperishable food, hygiene products, cleaning supplies or money through The Salvation Army.
What started as another stop on Keith Lee’s Midwest food tour has turned into something much bigger for Gary, Indiana.
The popular food critic and content creator announced that Gary would be the first stop on his Midwest run after learning about the crisis unfolding in the Northwest Indiana city. Severe storms and tornadoes damaged power lines, brought down trees and left hundreds of thousands of customers across the region without electricity.
According to AfroTech, which cited reporting from The Associated Press, approximately 300,000 customers were initially without power. As of August 19, around 75,000 customers remained without electricity, including more than 20,000 customers in Gary.
The extensive damage forced utility crews to rebuild portions of the area’s electrical infrastructure rather than complete routine repairs.
For Lee, doing a food tour through the Midwest while ignoring what was happening in Gary didn’t sit right.
“How we gonna do a food tour in the Midwest and Gary ain’t had no power?”
Lee shared that message with his followers while explaining his plans to make Gary the starting point of his Midwest food tour.
He also made it clear that simply arriving in the city, reviewing restaurants and leaving wasn’t enough. Lee said he wanted to connect with local officials and organizations to determine how he could provide meaningful assistance to residents.
“We don’t want to just show up for the fact of showing up.”
KEITH LEE AND THE SALVATION ARMY JOIN FORCES
Those conversations quickly turned into action.
According to an official announcement from The Salvation Army, the organization will partner with Lee on Monday, August 24 for a special community relief event in Gary.
The event is designed to provide immediate assistance to individuals and families still dealing with power outages, property damage and the loss of essential household supplies following the storms.
The Salvation Army said Lee approached the organization wanting to do more than raise awareness. His team began working with The Salvation Army, local leaders and community partners to organize an effort focused on meeting urgent needs throughout Lake County.
Residents will have access to flood-recovery cleanup kits containing items including liquid disinfectants, laundry detergent, dish detergent, gloves, sponges, mops and other supplies identified as immediate community needs.
Lee has also committed financial resources toward purchasing additional supplies for affected families.
TYRESE HALIBURTON MATCHES KEITH LEE’S DONATION
Another major name from Indiana is now joining the effort.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton matched Keith Lee’s financial donation, according to The Salvation Army.
Haliburton’s contribution will allow organizers to purchase even more supplies for residents affected by the storms, expanding an effort that started with Lee using his massive social media platform to call attention to what was happening in Gary.
The moment also shows the reach Lee has built beyond restaurant reviews. His visits have become known for dramatically increasing business at locally owned restaurants, but this time that influence is being directed toward a community dealing with a much more immediate crisis.
Lee has acknowledged that his appearance won’t restore electricity to the city. Instead, he wants the event to provide residents with food, supplies and a place to gather while recovery efforts continue.
In a follow-up message, Lee said the goal is to create a sense of community while continuing to push Gary’s situation into the national conversation.
That attention comes as residents have spent days navigating spoiled food, the cost of operating generators, limited access to certain businesses and the challenge of finding places with electricity, Wi-Fi and other basic resources.
HOW PEOPLE CAN HELP GARY
The community response is extending far beyond Lee and Haliburton.
AfroTech reported that restaurants and food trucks have already expressed interest in supporting the community effort.
The Salvation Army also says thousands of people have expressed interest in helping families affected by the storms.
The organization continues to accept donations of nonperishable food, hygiene products, cleaning supplies and financial contributions for households throughout the affected communities.
Those interested in supporting the relief effort financially can visit The Salvation Army’s Gary disaster-relief page.
The Salvation Army says its Emergency Disaster Services teams have already been providing food distribution, disaster social services and other assistance across Northwest Indiana, with longer-term support expected to continue after the immediate crisis has passed.
For Gary, the electricity may not be completely restored yet, but Keith Lee’s decision to put the city at the front of his Midwest tour has helped bring new national attention to what families are experiencing.
And with Lee, Haliburton, The Salvation Army and community organizations joining forces, that attention is now turning into tangible support.
SOURCES
