On Monday, January 3, 2022, a winter storm blasted the mid-Atlantic states. Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, were in the process of traveling from their home in Ellicott City, Maryland, down I-95, to visit Noe’s family in Newport, North Carolina. As they approached Quantico, Virginia, the interstate came to a standstill. With the road covered in snow and ice, about 50 miles of I-95 came to a halt and all motorists were stranded. After sleeping in their car overnight, Casey and John woke up hungry. They estimated that it had been about 37 hours since they had last eaten.
Casey and John noticed they were behind a Schmidt Baking Company truck. Casey decided to call the company to see if they could have/buy some of the baked goods on the truck. Since no one answered the phone, she had to leave a recording on the message machine. Assuming people were stranded at home, Casey doubted they would hear back from the company. Within 20 minutes, Chuck Paterakis, a co-owner of H&S Bakery, based in Baltimore, Maryland, called and reported that he had instructed Ron Hill, the driver, to give the rolls and bread to anyone who needed it. Ron opened the back of the truck and began giving away a loaf of bread and package of rolls to the people in the stranded vehicles. Even though it was still freezing temperatures, Casey and John took trays of the bread, walked to dozens of cars and gave the gift of bread to the cold and hungry motorists. Others also began helping with the distribution.er cold and hungry motorists. Others also began helping with the distribution.
When interviewed, Paterakis said their family-run bakery had been in operation for almost 80 years. His parents opened the first bakery in Baltimore in 1943. He and his three brothers now own the bakery. “We’re very humbled and grateful that we could help. My father and mother taught us how to work hard and give back to the community. My parents would be very proud.” Since the coronavirus pandemic, the bakery has donated close to 3 million loaves of bread to people in the Baltimore/Washington area.
Lessons to note:
* Casey and John had a need, thought of a solution, and were willing to ask for help.* Chuck Paterakis was in the right place to meet the needs of the stranded motorists.
* The Noe’s passed out food to others before taking care of their own needs.
* It’s good to have community, especially during difficult days/situations.
* Whereas the H&S Bakery could have made a sizeable profit from the hungry travelers, they generously gave their goods to people who needed them.
* Take extra food and water in your car when traveling.
May it not take a blizzard for us to help those around us this week.
Do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:3-4
