Trae Tha Truth traded the studio for disaster relief last week, traveling from Houston to Gary, Indiana, after seeing reports of the devastation caused by severe storms in the area.
The Houston rapper and philanthropist said watching the situation from home wasn’t enough. After seeing news coverage of the damage, he contacted his team, boarded a flight to Chicago and headed straight to the affected communities.
“I called my brother and my team,” Trae said. “Two hours later, jumped on a flight, flew into Chicago and hit the ground working.”
Once in northwest Indiana, Trae joined Operation BBQ Relief, a volunteer organization that provides meals to communities affected by disasters.
The organization had already been serving residents in areas including Portage, Lake Station and Schererville before expanding its relief efforts into Gary, where residents were dealing with difficult conditions following the storms.
Trae’s contribution went beyond serving food.
The rapper also worked alongside volunteers to help residents clear debris from affected areas, putting in hands-on work rather than simply making an appearance.
For Trae, the food was an important part of the response. He wanted residents dealing with the aftermath of the storms to receive substantial meals rather than quick snacks.
“We are giving people real, hot meals, not crackers and Lunchables,” Trae said. “We are giving them meals we would eat.”
His approach quickly caught the attention of people in the community.
Gary resident Nevaeh Fuller watched Trae work alongside the volunteers and praised his efforts.
“It is pretty amazing what all he did for us,” Fuller said. “Gave us food and then helping to clean up. He really cares.”
Trae has developed a reputation for showing up in communities facing difficult circumstances, and his trip to Gary continued that work outside the music industry.
But he also acknowledged that disaster recovery doesn’t end when the visiting volunteers leave.
“When I leave here and go back home, there will still be lots of work to be done out here,” Trae said.
That is why Trae hopes his involvement will encourage others to step in as well.
“I hope someone sees what we are doing and it inspires them to help,” he said. “That is the goal.”
For Trae Tha Truth, the message from Gary was straightforward: show up, serve people and keep working.
