Were Not Sure Which Heartwarming Story From Houston We Love The Most

It’s easy to get lost in despair when reading about Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath in Houston, and our hearts go out to those who are experiencing it. But buried in so many horrifying stories are some truly heartwarming ones—and many of those have do to with food, and the people who make and deliver it.

Workers trapped at a Houston bakery cranked out several tons of bread and treats to donate to storm victims

Four bakers at the El Bolillo Bakery became trapped in the bakery after waters rose during their Friday night shift, rendering them unable to leave the shop for the next two days. The bakery stayed dry, however, and the electricity remained on, so the workers decided to put their time to good use: baking multiple tons of bread and pan dulce, which were then donated to emergency centers for storm victims. “When they realized they were stuck, they decided to keep themselves busy and help the community, and made as many loaves of bread as they could,” bakery manager Brian Alvarado told The Independent. “We didn’t count exactly how many loaves they made, but they used 4,400 pounds of flour.”

An elderly couple called Chick-Fil-A to order burritos and a boat—and were rescued by the manager’s husband

North Houston residents J.C. and Karen Spencer survived the first few days of Hurricane Harvey unscathed, but on Monday water started flooding their house, so they did what anyone in their situation would do: “We had to get out of there, so I called Chick-fil-A; now that sounds kind of funny,” J.C. Spencer said on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday. “I ordered two grilled chicken burritos with extra egg and a boat.” The couple are regulars at the restaurant, and one of its managers dispatched her husband in their boat to rescue the Spencers. The couple told GMA they were in the process of deciding which prized possessions they’d be able to fit aboard with them when two good samaritans on jet skis showed up. “Karen jumped on the back of a jet ski and I jumped on the back of another one and they evacuated us to higher ground,” J.C. told ABC.

Pizza Hut delivered free pizza via kayak to stranded Harvey victims

After hearing from an employee that people trapped in their homes nearby because of flooding were running out of food, the manager of a Pizza Hut in Sugar Land, Shayda Habib, knew she had to act. “We packed 120 pizzas into kayaks and took them out to people in their homes,” Habib told the Houston Chronicle. “The people in the houses didn’t expect us to come. It was so nice to see their smiles after so much gloom.” She says that she planned to keep delivering more pizzas to flood victims until the supplies run out.
THANK YOU to our Oak Lake Pizza Hut team for their out-of-the-car response to deliver hot pizzas all day to the community they serve. pic.twitter.com/Xmkv9XhrKw
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) August 30, 2017

About the author

Kathryn Maier

NYC Food & Drink Editor

Kathryn has eaten her way around the globe, seeking out local delicacies in more than 40 countries and counting. After receiving a Master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she began writing about travel, food, and drink, and has held editorial roles at luxury publications including Conde Nast Traveler and the Robb Report. When she's in NYC, she can generally be found on a barstool at one of the city's best cocktail bars or at home sipping fine wine with her cat on her lap.