Texas Furniture Store Chain: Refuge For Hundreds of Cold-Tired-Hungry, 24/7

[appalachiablue]

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'This Texas Furniture Chain Has Again Become A Refuge To Those Cold, Tired, Hungry. Open Doors 24/7.' Daily Kos, Feb. 20, 2021.

What can 100,000 feet of heated showroom do when it is operated by a grateful man or woman? For those Houston residents that are without power and are cold, tired and hungry, it has become….yet again….a shelter and a refuge. With his large generators humming.

> As he did when Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Katrina and other storms devastated the area, James F. McIngvale, who owns Gallery Furniture, opened up his doors to his three huge stores and warehouse, set-up buffets, emptied his blanket inventories, laid out his mattresses….hundreds of mattresses...and welcomed those that have no safe haven nor means to go to the Hilton...or Cancun.

Thousands have taken him up on his offer, and over 700 are sleeping there overnight. “The logistics are a little hard, but we’re making it work. The main thing is to get people out of the cold.”

From lenex...

Rosie May Williams, 48, who said she is homeless, tried to take shelter at a convention center earlier this week but was told it was over capacity. She was transported by bus to the furniture store, and has slept for the past two nights on a recliner, eating smothered chicken for dinner on one of those nights.

“They have been very good to me,” she said.

Many of those who chose to stay have organized themselves as volunteers, emptying trash and taking care of other people, who range in age from very young children to older adults in their 90s, Mr. McIngvale said. There is a large area designated for the children, where there are face painters and group activities offered by local professionals. 100,000 square feet is large enough to maintain a healthy distance, and hand-sanitizing and mask-wearing is provided and mandatory...

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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/20/2017191/-This-Texas-Furniture-Chain-Has-Again-Become-A-Refuge-To-Those-Cold-Tired-Hungry-Open-Doors-24-7

[Midnight Writer]

1. Which reminds me. Did Prosperity Gospel Guru Joel Osteen open his mega-church to the suffering?

Did he share his blessings with the faithful?

[Deuxcents]

2. Wondering the same thing.

His doors were locked during Harvey but this furniture owner had already opened his stores. He has opened his stores for other natural disasters.

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. Oddly enough he did

I think he was properly shamed for not helping during Hurricane Harvey.

While I appreciate Mattress Mack's help, he's still a RWNJ.

[Dustlawyer]

7. Yes! Mack is really an asshole but profit motive from the PR at least has him helping.

Mack has a dark side which he covers up with his shtick. I watched him cuss out an employee and turn and greet us with a huge fake smile like he had not just been calling the employee next to him an f’ing idiot.

He funded some Chuck Norris movies and has been a huge RW supporter.

[ChazII]

6. Yes, he did

open his church. Google is my friend and I was wondering the same question. Don't know why his opening his church didn't get some coverage.

[kimbutgar]

4. If I lived there I would buy furniture from him just for this gesture.

A real humanitarian.

[ChazInAz]

5. Why do I have tears in my eyes?