Furniture Store Owner Provides Shelter And Warm Meals To Texans Without Power

February 20, 2021

A Houston furniture store owner is providing shelter and warm meals to Texans without power as snow, ice and freezing temperatures continue to disrupt the South.

Jim McIngvale, who goes by Mattress Mack, is known for opening the doors of his furniture stores to those in need.

In 2017, he transformed some of his Gallery Furniture stores into shelters after Hurricane Harvey. He did the same in 2005, when many fled Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.

Now in 2021, he's inviting hundreds of people to seek shelter in his Houston Gallery Furniture store.

"Least we could do is open this furniture store to let people come into a warmer place," Mattress Mack told KHOU-TV. "Sofas and plenty available TVs, plenty of available mattresses, plenty of available and lots of hot food."

The stores have beds, blankets and even food for families struggling after sweeping power outages devastated millions in the state.

"We spent the night, pretty much, in the cold, which is something I've never done," Denistra Hunt told KHOU. "With a 2-year-old, it was dreadful. We all just got in one bed and covered up."