This Maryland couple was stranded without any food in the freezing cold on a highway in Virginia and they were getting hungrier and more desperate by the minute.
After some 20 hours of being stuck on the Interstate 95, John Noe and his wife Casey Holihan saw a Schmidt Baking Co. truck in front of them.
They were starving and people around them were also struggling a lot and there were plenty of children crying.
The couple hadn’t eaten anything for 37 hours. In a desperate try for a bite, they called the bakery which is based in Baltimore to check if they’re willing to provide food for them and the other captives on the highway.
Schmidt Baking Co. Answers the Cry for Help & Delivers Food for the Highway “Prisoners”
Holihan who left a message with the customer service of the bakery didn’t think the method would really work. However, only 20 minutes later, she got a call from Chuck Paterakis, the co-owner of the H&S Bakery that operates Schmidt Baking.
He told them to go over to the truck driver Ron Hill and ask him to pass them the bread. Hill immediately opened the truck and passed the bread. Hill was instructed by Paterakis to give a package of rolls and one loaf to each motorist who needs food.
For Paterakis, this was a very easy decision because if he were stuck on the highway like this, he would want someone to offer their products if possible.
The couple who inspired the bakery for this generous move was headed to visit the family of Noe in North Carolina and they joined the bakery’s driver in making the deliveries to the motorists.
Many others also joined in and some 300 bread loaves were handed out. They went door to door and some people said this saved them.
One video of the rollout went viral on TikTok. Holihan gave a shout-out to the bakery on her Facebook and thanked them for their incredible compassion and humanity.
After 21 hours of being stuck on this highway in their cars, without any food and water, the motorists were tired, hungry, and very frustrated, explained the couple. Some had pets and kids in their cars and they haven’t seen food for a whole day.
Paterakis is pleased to have helped hungry people and it was a gratifying experience and something he’ll never forget.
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