Mass. Plumbers On Mission To Restore Water To Homes In Texas
CHELSEA (CBS) - Like the rest of us, Juan Gallego watches the news on TV. Only with Juan, when he sees part of the country or the world having trouble, Juan is compelled to try and help.
That's why his living room is full of plumbing supplies right now. By Thursday evening, it will all be in Houston, he will be helping to fix broken plumbing in people's homes. "I was sitting watching the news, seeing the pictures of people drinking basically water out of the snow," Juan said.
Houston is no stranger to natural disasters, but when snow and single digit temperatures hit the state recently, tens of thousands of homeowners were left without water, when their pipes froze, then burst.
Gallego approached members of the Chelsea Rotary Club, where he's a member. They raised several thousand dollars for plumbing supplies. Then, Juan found four plumbers willing to fly down there, and work 10 days for free, fixing broken pipes.
"He has that mind to help people," said Joe Vinard, the treasurer of the Rotary Club. "And he enjoys doing it. And he puts his money where his mouth is."
Sure enough, Juan kicked in $5,000 of his own money. "If I can fix 200 houses, then $5,000 is nothing," he said.
Gallego and the plumbers fly out Thursday morning.