Andrew Mitchell, a plumber from New Jersey, embarked on a 22-hour drive to Texas last week to help people who were dealing with burst pipes and other damages related to the devastating winter storms.
Mitchell, who made the trip with his wife, brother-in-law Isiah Pinnock, and 2-year-old son, heard that plumbers in Texas were overwhelmed with calls while customers were left stranded. Before beginning the journey, the family purchased a load of plumbing supplies, which are currently hard to find in Texas, CNN reported.
Mitchell's wife, Kisha Pinnock, said her sister then connected the family with people who needed help in Houston.
"By the time we got here, there was already about four or five jobs lined up from my sister, and we just hit those first and then everything after that has really just been referrals from like the initial customers, like their friends and family," Pinnock said. "Since we've been here, it has really been nonstop."
One of those customers, Dedrick Dock, said he tried to get at least 15 plumbers out to his house in Spring, Texas. Dock found relief when he heard about Mitchell's Plumbing and Heating on social media from a friend's neighbor. The Texas man and his family had been staying with relatives because a pipe broke in the garage.
"We had to relocate for over a week because we needed to get someone out there," the Spring resident told CNN. "And of course, with the plumbers here they were already overwhelmed with the work that was going on."
Mitchell's family, which has completed about 13 jobs so far, plans to stay in Texas for at least two more weeks as the calls keep coming in.
As Blavity previously reported, at least 13 million Texans dealt with disruptions to their water services during the brutal weather while many more tried to survive for days without heat or power. The record-breaking low temperatures also caused at least a dozen deaths in the state. An 84-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy are among those who died, as Blavity previously reported.
But Mitchell's family is happy to help as many people as possible.
"It's really a blessing to be a blessing to other people and Andrew truly enjoys the work," Kisha told the BBC. "Plumbing is his passion."