A local Pizza Hut chain in Texas is providing affected families of Hurricane Harvey free pizzas as the state’s Gulf Coast continues to reel from the devastating storm.
Shayda Habib, regional manager of Pizza Hut in Sugerland, told NBC Houston affiliate KPRC that after hearing families in her community were trapped in their homes, she decided to take action and help those struggling in the aftermath of the hurricane.
‘When I heard there were families in need, I knew we needed to act fast,’ Habib told the station. ‘I called my husband and asked him to gather up kayaks and meet me at the restaurant.’
Texas Pizza Hut workers in Sugerland paddle through flood waters to deliver free pizzas by kayak
Shayda Habib said she felt compelled to do something for her community following Hurricane Harvey
Habib said that after mobilizing a small crew of employees at the restaurant, they went to work cooking pies for people suffering from the storm.
Braving at times chest-high waters, Habib and her crew were able to load delivery pouches stuffed with pizzas into kayaks and deliver them to needy families.
‘We packed 120 pizzas into kayaks and took them out to people in their homes,’ Habib told Sacramento broadcaster KCRA.
‘The people in the houses didn’t expect us to come. It was so nice to see their smiles after so much gloom,’ she added.
Pizza Hut franchisee, James Bodenstedt, praised the Sugerland crew’s humanitarian effort in the wake of the natural disaster.
‘We are so proud of our team for seeing a need, stepping up and helping the community in a time of devastation,’ Bodenstedt told KPRC.
Habib vowed to keep delivering pizzas until her store ran out of food.
Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast on Friday, causing severe flooding that has left 38 people dead and billions of dollars in estimated damage.
Habib said they were able to load 120 pizzas into kayaks and paddled them to hungry families