Amidst the tragic loss of life and destruction of property that has devastated the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, hope has come in the form of a mass outpouring of goodwill. Individuals, neighbors and corporations alike are stepping up to aid the victims and their families. Here are some stories that show hope amid the destruction.
Thoughtful Aggie Delivers Hope and Pizza
Texas A&M student and Pizza Hut employee Ryan Walton used social media to raise enough money to buy 50 pizzas to be delivered to tornado victims. According to KBTX, Walton used his employee discount and coordinated with the Red Cross to determine where to bring the pizzas, which he delivered himself while on break from work.
I couldnt have done this without everyones help. The power of social media and the aggie family is crazy. Thank you pic.twitter.com/ZpjN4fmEt3
— Neville Longbottom (@ryanwwalton) December 27, 2015
Dallas Samaritans Don’t Pass by Victims
NBCDFW reports that several people stopped to help paramedics rescue tornado victims trapped in their cars. Good Samaritan Lamont Shrimp said, “That was our main focus, helping getting them out, getting IV’s in them, just keeping them warm, talking to them, making sure there’s some support for them.”
Duracell Charging to the Rescue
After receiving news of the disaster, the battery giant sent the Duracell PowerForward truck to the areas most impacted by the storms. The truck arrived with free batteries and mobile charging stations to enable victims to charge their devices in order to get in touch with loved ones.
North Texas: we're on our way with free batteries & mobile charging to help those impacted by the #tornados. pic.twitter.com/5O8AlNpNJH
— Duracell (@Duracell) December 27, 2015
American Airlines Looks After Their Own
American Airlines, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, donated $100,000 to the Red Cross to aid relief efforts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, NBCDFW reports. In addition, American will be rewarding AAdvantage miles to those who donate to the Red Cross via AA.com/RedCross.
Texans Taking Care of Texans
All across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, communities have come together to offer aid and shelter to those who have lost everything. NBCDFW reports that churches, schools, restaurants, gyms and more are offering food, water, clothing and comfort to anyone in need during this time of crisis.
Chick-Fil-A Didn’t Invent Altruism, Just the Chicken Sandwich
Though the national chicken chain has a corporate policy to stay closed on Sundays, CNBC reported that Chick-Fil-A restaurants in the Dallas area had opened their hearts and their doors to serve food to first responders Sunday. While the restaurants weren’t open to the general public, Chick-Fil-A employees volunteered to serve free food to the men and women who had been working long hours to aid the tornado victims.