Senator Robert Dole, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Val Halamandaris, Founder and Executive Director of the Caring Institute, announced Greg Porter, Founder of God's Katrina Kitchen and Executive Director of God's Kitchen, Inc., as one of the 2008 National Caring Award adult winners. This honor is bestowed annually upon the most caring people in America.
"On behalf of our board of trustees, it is a great honor for us to pay tribute to these extraordinary people who have used their lives for the betterment of others. They are wonderful role models and personify caring," said Senator Dole.
Greg was a successful Kentucky businessman from Penrod, KY (office in Evansville, IN) who lives by Isaiah 58. He fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and housed the homeless in his own community. But that Bible verse took on even greater significance when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29th, 2005. Greg and four friends and co-workers piled into a truck loaded with food, water and stoves to help the residents of Pass Christian, MS. He started grilling hamburgers on the crippled median of Interstate 90, serving thousands of needy residents and attracting thousands of volunteers. But this was only the starting point: By the end of his stay on the Gulf Coast, God's Katrina Kitchen has served over a million meals and helped thousands rebuild their homes and lives. The red and white circus tent that housed this blessed endeavor also served as a community meeting place and provided shelter for hundreds of volunteers. Although the Kitchen is no longer needed for hurricane relief, our latest endeavors - God's Kitchen First Response Disaster Relief - will be ready to go anywhere disaster strikes and a helping hand is needed.
Greg was inducted into the Hall of Fame with four other National Caring Award adult winners (Dick Grace, owner of Grace Winery and founder of the Grace Family foundation, St. Helena, CA; Dr. Adele O'Sullivan, medical director of Health Care for the Homeless, Phoenix, AZ; Rev. Cecil Williams, San Francisco, CA; and John Wooden, legendary basketball coach, Los Angeles, CA). They were honored during an induction ceremony on Monday, April 7, 2008 at the Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame for Caring Americans on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The winners receiveed their awards at the official National Caring Awards ceremony that evening in Washington, D.C.
The Caring Institute was founded in 1985 by Val Halamandaris as a result of his first meeting with Mother Teresa. Its mission is to promote the values of caring, integrity, and public service.
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