HOUSTON – A furniture store owner in Houston has turned his stores into shelters to help people escaping their flooded homes.
Jim McIngvale, who goes by the name “Mattress Mack,” owns two Gallery Furniture stores. He says after the storm hit, he had volunteers drive his trucks to rescue people.
“We had several Penske rental trucks, 24-foot trucks that you can get in any flooded street. We sent volunteers out in Houston picking up people,” McIngvale said.
McIngvale says he has about 760 people taking up shelter between his two locations.
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“Life dealt them a bad hand, we’re trying to help them relieve some stress and anxiety,” he told CNN. “We have nothing but good things to say about these people who have gone through an incredible tragedy.”
Each store has a restaurant, so in addition to providing them a place to stay, McIngvale said he and his team are feeding folks three meals per day.
Inside a @MattressMack Gallery Furniture store-turned-shelter. Evacuees grateful to be sleeping on brand new mattresses, Nat Guard here, too pic.twitter.com/nQ15zxZGcf
— Sonia Moghe (@soniamoghe) August 29, 2017
“We’re hanging in there, keeping the faith, and trying to make life better for these people,” he said.
It’s not the first time he has opened his doors to people in need.
Back in 2005, McIngvale said he sheltered about 200 people who fled New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
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