Pizza is EVERYTHING. It is life, it is love, and more often than not, it makes everything better. Though the devastation and loss felt in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey might prove to be too much for even pizza to soften the blow of, one Texas Pizza Hut was determined to try.
Shayda Habib’s Sugarland Pizza Hut has been donating pizzas to hungry residents via kayak and says she will continue to do so until the store runs out of food.
Most of Oak Lake, Texas is still underwater with residents stranded in their homes and running low on food. So, Habib decided she would deliver free pizzas to the neighborhood.
“When I heard there were families in need, I knew we needed to act fast,” the Pizza Hut manager told CNBC. “I called my husband and asked him to gather up kayaks and meet me at the restaurant.”
She also called her employees and those that were able to come in started making pizzas.
The plan was for Habib and six of her employees to fill the kayaks with delivery pouches and paddle through waist-high waters in order to deliver as many pizzas as they could.
“We packed 120 pizzas into kayaks and took them out to people in their homes,” Habib told KCRA. “The people in the houses didn’t expect us to come. It was so nice to see their smiles after so much gloom.”
Habib said she was thankful to have the resources she did in order to provide for her neighbors.
“We are so proud of our team for seeing a need, stepping up and helping the community in a time of devastation,” the franchise’s owner James Bodenstedt said.
Habib and her team also got a nod from the national Pizza Hut headquarters.
“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,” Pizza Hut posted on Twitter.
Some people on Twitter are now asking how they can order pizza from Habib’s store or send them money so that more pies can be donated.
They are also asking Pizza Hut’s national headquarters to support Habib’s efforts.
“Awesome job by your Texas Oak Lake Pizza Hut Team,” one Twitter user said. “I am sure they brought a lot of smiles to weary and worried faces.”
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