Wings on Wheels delivered hot meals to over 1,500 in Marianna

CRESTVIEW — Wings on Wheels in Crestview, the mobile food vendor, fed over 1,500 Hurricane Michael survivors and relief effort volunteers hot meals in Marianna.

When Bradley White returned to his food truck after Hurricane Michael passed and began hearing reports of the devastation, he said God put it on his heart to help in some way.

"There was people that was in need, and the child of God that I am, that's what we're supposed to do for our brothers and sisters," White said.

White started by asking for donations instead of tips.

“Basically, I was telling the customers that was coming to Wings on Wheels that any tip they can leave was going to go towards the hurricane victims,” White said. “After that, it seemed like everything fell into place.”

Last year, when Hurricane Harvey tore through Houston, Texas, White sent a donation box.

“But, this time, it was just a little to close to home for us to send a donation,” White said.

With the help of friends, employees and donations, White began collecting items to take into the affected areas.

White and his crew of about 20 volunteers loaded everything up into his "kitchen on wheels" and headed to Marianna at 5 a.m on Oct. 20.

They didn't finish cooking until 9 p.m.

White said they had a total of six large freezers filled with food, and it was all cooked that day.

"'Tired' wasn't even the word," White said. "Everybody that was with us was falling asleep because it was non-stop. It was non-stop."

White was stretching for words to describe the devastation he saw on the way into Marianna.

"What pictures show you on Facebook, it's nothing like that in person," White said. "… People were still living in their homes with trees on it."

When they arrived at the First Baptist Church in Marianna, White said some of the volunteers already there had ran out of ice.

Luckily, White and his crew brought cold drinks and hot food for them — all for free.

Among the many that received a hot meal from Wings on Wheels were at least 600 volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in North Georgia.

"I talked to (White) about it, and I said, 'Why are you doing this,'" Andy Galt said. "He said, 'God sent me,' and I said, 'I believe that.' He sent us here to do this work, and he sent (White) here to feed us."

White said they wanted to give the people variety other than just the sandwiches and water.

They made a total of 2,000 wings and 900 hamburgers, and brought nachos, a bounty of snacks, cakes baked by the community, and a variety of drinks.

White said he will be going back to help.

"If the hurricane had shifted, I believe they would have done the same for us," White said. "I wish I could stay."