In Boone, a taqueria serves warm, fresh food to hundreds in Helene-ravaged Watauga County

A small Boone-based Mexican restaurant has become a source for fresh food in Watauga County’s small mountain towns. 

The kitchen of Taqueria La Monarca is bustling, like most mornings. Chicken, soon to become fajitas, sizzles on the grill. Cilantro is chopped, and fresh tortillas are pressed. 

But this food isn’t destined to be served to a table or Ubered to an App State student. 

Instead, it's headed to nearby Sugar Grove, where residents stranded by Helene are still coming down from their homes for the first time.

Since Sunday, owner Miriam Hernandez and her employees have been cooking, prepping and serving upward of 400 meals daily for victims of Hurricane Helene.

She said it’s important the food be fresh and warm for people who’ve gone without access to power, water and grocery stores for days. 

"This week I had to do pickups because no delivery drivers wanted to drive here," Hernandez said in Spanish. "We had to drive to Taylorsville to pick up meat and we had to drive to Winston-Salem to pick up vegetables and all the other produce." 

They work in a food truck parked outside a skating rink in Sugar Grove to distribute the hot lunches. The meals vary, and all come with bottled water.

The skating rink, Skateworld, is serving as a supplies distribution hub for the Boone nonprofit Water to Wine. 

Nancy Crawford, a local volunteer, has helped lead its efforts in the area. She has experienced firsthand people’s reactions to La Monarca’s food. 

"Since Sunday, one thousand warm meals have been served for people who literally still don’t have water, power or anything," Crawford said in Spanish. "People have cried, they'll say 'Oh my gosh, we haven’t eaten anything warm in days.'"

Hernandez says she’s committed to continuing with the free and fresh food for as long as it is needed.