What a Good Samaritan: 'Mattress Mack' Turns his Houston Furniture Stores into Shelters
A Houston furniture store owner is reaching out to Harvey victims in a big way. He's opened several of his stores as shelters.
"We have these giant 24-foot box trucks that can get through five to six feet of water. We sent 'em out, picked up about 200 people," Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale told ABC News.
Our GF N FWRY & GF Grand PKWY stores are open for those in need. If you can safely join us, we invite you for shelter and food. God Bless. pic.twitter.com/IHHgjKmjMY
— MattressMack (@MattressMack) August 28, 2017
"They were stranded on bridges; they were stranded in convenience stores; they were walking through the water with snakes and alligators, and we brought 'em out here," he continued.
McIngvale said he's not worried about his inventory and still plans to sell the furniture once Harvey is gone.
"We'll have a Harvey floor model sale, or something," he said. "I'll come up with some shtick. These people are nice. They're taking care of the furniture."
"Furniture's made to be sat on, slept on, laid on, whatever. It's just a product. It ain't gonna hurt it," he continued.
The man known as "Mattress Mack" said that his goal has been to put people above profits.
"This is the right thing to do. That's the way I was brought up," he said.
McIngvale's daughter wrote on Facebook that her dad has helped to restore her "faith in humanity."
In addition to hundreds of storm victims, the two Gallery Furniture stores have been a place of rest for National Guard troops deployed to the Houston area.