Today we’d like to introduce you to John LeBeau
Hi John, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2011 Joplin, Missouri was struck with a devastating EF5 tornado and a group of men wanted to help. They gathered up a lot of items that they thought would be needed and headed to Joplin. Upon their arrival they saw complete devastation and said there has to be some more that we can do to help these people impacted by disaster. On the way back to DFW they discussed the issue and came up with the name Minuteman Disaster Response (MDR). These men pooled some money and a donated truck and started mapping out the best way to assist. MDR started out following storms, assisting with search and rescue and swift water recovery. Seeing that there was more needs they formed the Relief Team that goes into areas impacted by disaster with highly trained volunteers in chain sawing, heavy equipment operation and mucking out flooded homes. Since MDR is a 501c3 organization we have received very generous donations from individuals, corporations and grants. This funding has allowed MDR to expand its equipment inventory to include an environmentally controlled 53″ sleeper trailer that will accommodate 28 people, an environmentally controlled six stall shower restroom trailer along with a laundry room, a 53″ incident command post where we can watch the weather, strategically place out teams for work and work with the first responders, five box trucks which have enough equipment in each truck to support two teams of volunteers , three flatbed trailers to move equipment around , a large number of chainsaws and a large amount of differing hand tools to be able to help our volunteers do our job of chain sawing, heavy equipment operation and mucking out flooded homes. When MDR deploys to a disaster we are totally self sufficient, all we need is work. Our home office is in McKinney, Texas and we have a branch office in Birmingham, Alabama. We expanded into Birmingham because based on the data they sit in what is called the middle of Tornado alley. We have also strategically placed box trucks in Tulsa, Ok, San Antonio, TX and Birmingham, AL. This equipment placement allows us to respond much quicker when disasters do occur. Our long term plan is to replicate the equipment previously described above in our Birmingham office. This will allow us to react quicker in FEMA Region 4, Birmingham and FEMA Region 6, McKinney and to continue to place box trucks in strategic locations. We currently respond to disasters in the 48 contiguous states.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth roads are all in the perception of the person in the truck riding down the road. MDR has been blessed tremendously with great volunteers and very generous donors. Any new venture is faced with adversity however when your goal is to serve it keeps everything in perspective and all of a sudden you are able to see how you can grow through adversity. God has a plan for MDR and all we want to do is follow that plan and leave people we are in contact with during a disaster with hope.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Minuteman Disaster Response exists to provide assistance in the aftermath of a disaster through the deployment of highly trained and equipped volunteers. We are most proud of our volunteers and how they embrace our culture of having a servants heart. We are not out to be the biggest, that is in God’s hands, all we want to do is continue to be servants, be the hands and feet of Jesus and leave people we serve with hope.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I’ll define that with a short story. There is a story I once was told about a gentlemen who was walking on the seashore and saw another gentleman throwing starfish back into the ocean one at a time. Now let it be known there were thousands of starfish washed up on the beach. The gentleman walking on the beach approached the other one and said “You can’t save all of them”, the other gentlemen responded as he threw another one back into the ocean, “I just saved that one”. In a disaster you cannot help everyone however that cannot be used as an excuse not to do anything. I can assure you the ones you do help matter. At MDR that is the definition of success.
Pricing:
- All of the services we provide are 100% free.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://minutemanresponse.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minutemanteam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Minutemanteam/
- Twitter: https://x.com/minutemanteam
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@minutemanteam
