Dave Grohl cooked for over 24 hours to serve homeless in LA during the storms

In addition to historic blizzards and relentless rain, Los Angeles temperatures have been particularly cold for the area. Overnight lows downtown are hovering in the low 40s. It’s difficult for the unhoused community. That’s why people like Dave Grohl are so freaking amazing. Because last week he rolled up to Hope the Mission with his own smoker and meat and cooked for over 24 hours to provide food for guests and staff.

Dave Grohl spent over 24 hours volunteering at a Los Angeles shelter to prepare barbecue for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness, once again proving he’s everyone’s hero.

The Foo Fighters frontman had brisket, pork butt, ribs and more delivered to Hope the Mission’s Trebek Center in Northridge, California, on Feb. 22, Grace Ancheta, director of development at Hope the Mission, tells TODAY.com.

“He arrived around 3 in the afternoon, and then he was in our kitchen,” Ancheta says. “He was prepping the meat, he was cutting it up and he was there until he put it in the smoker.”

“The meat didn’t go into the smoker until midnight that night because he’s like, ‘Oh, it has to season and it has to do this,'” Ancheta adds. “He’s definitely a craftsman when it comes to that, and then he spent the night.”

Ancheta says Grohl and his fellow barbecuers took turns smoking the meat overnight — even as a major winter storm moved through Southern California, dumping hail and rain on the shelter that night — until it was ready at about 3 p.m. on Feb. 23, or about an entire day after he started cooking.

Hope the Mission’s shelters serve dinner around 6 p.m., so Grohl was working toward that deadline to be able to serve the meals after they were prepared, Ancheta says.

“He actually served to our guests, he came out and was very gracious and took pictures with the people that recognized him,” Ancheta says. “He wanted no glory for it, he was like, ‘I just want to do this for you guys and give back in that way.'”

Ancheta says Grohl told staffers at Hope the Mission he finds getting into the barbecue pit therapeutic after he comes offstage.

“Whenever he comes off of work or anything else, that’s what he wants to do,” Ancheta says. “He wants to cook for people.”

She continues: “And by the way — it was amazing. It’s the best barbecue we’ve had.”

[From Today]

Northridge is about 30 miles north of LA, just for those unfamiliar with CA. Same weather. I love every part of this story. It’s amazing that Dave brought everything and made dinner, making things a little easier on staff and a little more special for the guests. But I am getting particularly emotional that Dave took such care with the preparation and oversaw that it came out just right. And the planner in me is positively beaming that he took such measures to meet the shelters 6pm serve time. I’ll say it – that’s a Capricorn for you. And a saint. I appreciate that he uses cooking as his meditative down time but he’s a famous man, he has tons of people he could call for a big dinner party. To do this for a community in need when it took him from his own home to do it shows who Dave is.

As Grace Ancheta said, Dave didn’t do this for any glory. He wasn’t the one who leaked the information, and his reps didn’t respond to request for comments. He posed for photos at the Mission and filmed videos the president and CFO who were offsite participating in a run to raise money for the Trebeck Center. Honestly, this is just a story where everyone wins.

If you want to help Hope the Mission, you can donate here.

Photo credit: Mike Gray/Avalon, Twitter and Instagram

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38 Responses to “Dave Grohl cooked for over 24 hours to serve homeless in LA during the storms”

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  1. Eleonor says:

    Dave Ghrol is awesome.

  2. NG_76 says:

    He’s such an amazing person I just love him.

    On another note my son is headed to LA today all the way from far far up in Northern Ontario. He is going to be disappointed about the weather lol. He is going to the Rolling Loud concert this weekend.

  3. Jais says:

    So cool. I’m crushing.

  4. Pinkosaurus says:

    Such a perfect counterpoint to all the fawning press coverage of WanK. British rags always disparagingly refer to celebs while still trying to pretend the boring lazy royals are the real rockstars.

    Turns out, in “woke” California, celeb rockstars show up with food and real volunteer effort but no press and don’t cost taxpayers hundreds of millions every year. Opposite Day every day. I hope this is posted in the comments of every homeless/food bank press stop by the royals.

    • SquiddusMaximus says:

      This. THIS. Can you please re-post on ever DM article today praising Kate’s buttons or Wanky’s… something? Please?!

    • TIFFANY says:

      I Honk this.

      I too would love more stories about not only Grohl, by celebs works with charities, etc.

    • Msmlnp says:

      Must every post on this site circle back to royals?
      I’d honk for a no royal policy or even a “royal sabbatical”.

      • CariBean says:

        It’s like you’re in my brain today! I have been scrolling past every royal post. It’s been too much lately.

      • kirk says:

        Well now that we know the rationale for being royal has been firmly breached by Camela who’s happily replacing the true bloodline with her own, doesn’t seem much point even thinking about royals as ‘special.’

  5. Blairski says:

    He’s such a mensch. And a great example for other celebrities. Aw heck, a great example for other humans.

    Hecate – thanks for your coverage of LA-specific stories. As a local, I appreciate it!

    • Mle428 says:

      @ Blairski I am also a local and loving Hecate’s LA area coverage.

    • BothSidesNow says:

      @ Blairski, Grohl is an excellent example for every person in all walks of life. I love how Grohl was in knee-deep to ensure that the brisket was well seasoned along with the proper resting time. As a native Houstonian we take our BBQ as it seems that Grohl does as well.

      I am simply gushing by how he made certain that he was available to serve everyone as well as greeting and meeting them too!!

  6. Frippery says:

    I know that everyone gives what they can and that any help or donations are absolutely welcome, but I think it’s pretty awesome that not only did he help feed people, but took the time and effort to serve them something made with care and love. That’s very cool.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      It is very cool. He was a part of the whole process. He showed up and worked. Smoking meats isn’t all that easy. Smoking meats and prep work before serving IS work. He didn’t leave with promises to help. He promised to help and he did.

  7. Emmi says:

    This is lovely. I have to say, I live in a city with a famously terrible drug and homelessness problem (for German standards) in a certain area but downtown LA nearly took me out. I had never seen anything like it in a rich Western country. The scale and level of suffering was something else. I admire anyone who’s trying to tackle it although in general, I think homelessness should exist in either country. The older I get, the angrier I get about these absolutely fixable problems. Good on Dave, he seems like a really good person.

  8. SIde Eye says:

    Amazing. Absolutely amazing person.

  9. HeyKay says:

    Thanks for this posting.
    Way to go Dave!

  10. kyliegirl says:

    Dave is a special man who loves to share his talents and generosity with others. With all the crappy news lately, this story warmed my heart. There are still good people in the world.

  11. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    Brilliant. Bravo G.

  12. Lizzie Bathory says:

    Making proper barbeque is truly a commitment & labor of love. It says a lot about his generosity of spirit to people who are struggling.

  13. Soapboxpudding says:

    Grohl is a good dude. The UK royals could learn a thing from him about not showing up empty handed.

  14. SomeChick says:

    this was an awesome thing to do but he is not a saint.

    • TIFFANY says:

      No one commenting said he was.

      Being a good person and growing does not equal sainthood.

    • HeatherC says:

      TBF I think it was just a saying for Hecate. Like when Dolly Parton does her awesome book initiative or funding covid vaccine development. Dolly Parton isn’t actually up for sainthood and neither is Dave Grohl (however they are national treasures and should be protected at all costs imo)

  15. Laura says:

    This is amazing 🙂 makes me like him even more

  16. Mandy says:

    Awesome story and dude (I’m not a meat eater but still support this). All the royals just show up for photo shoots in nice clothes but this guy is boots on the ground!

  17. Traveller says:

    A very admirable thing to do.
    I wish more and more people with means would share their great fortune and privilege in a meaningful way.

    • P1ss0ff says:

      This is the same guy who denied aids was real? Lol

      • Kirk says:

        HeyKay – Yes, thank you!
        Great news about a truly nice guy!

        Dave Grohl & Foo Fighters were HIV deniers 23 years ago. Since then, the chief HIV-AIDS denier, Christine Maggiore, has died and Dave and the Foo Fighters have stopped promoting the HIV-AIDS denialism.

  18. Nanea says:

    Food really is the way to a person’s heart.

    Good to see Dave Grohl *do* something — donate his time, food and cooking skills, and show people he cares. It’s not like a donation wouldn’t have been appreciated, but more often than not unhoused people have to deal with prejudice or outright rejection.

  19. Nophlyfiremama says:

    Imma need Dave Grohl and Keanu Reeves to be in a project together, m’kay?!

    • Frippery says:

      …..you haven’t seen Bill & Ted Face the Music, have you? 🙂 spoilers but Dave Grohl does pop up for a scene with Keanu.

  20. Nicki says:

    Love this story. Such a kind and generous thing to do. Just to clarify, Northridge is actually part of the city of Los Angeles. But you’re right, it’s about 30 miles north of downtown LA. 🙂

  21. MoonTheLoon says:

    The charity’s actually called Hope of The Valley mission. It’s one of my locals. I do wish people would have got it right. Kudos to Dave for stepping up. I hear he brought his own gigantoid smoker and went to town.

  22. j.ferber says:

    Love this man. He has the heart and brains to be the king of England (unlike the ass they already have in that spot).

  23. The Recluse says:

    Grohl is such a decent human being. He’s already a national treasure.