When Satchel Smith’s father dropped him off for his shift at Homewood Suites in Beaumont, Texas, he expected the day to be like any other: He’d start at 3 PM and leave around 11 that night. That was until Tropical Storm-turned-Depression Imelda unleashed massive flooding that trapped him and 90 other guests inside the hotel. Hotel guests have praised Smith’s composure, including Angela Chandler, who wrote a lengthy Facebook post about the young man.
… “He has manned the phones, answered each of our questions, ensured that we have had a hot cup of coffee or tea, and helped serve us a hot breakfast. He has handled this situation with grace, kindness, and a beautiful smile on his face.”
… A guest stepped in to help serve breakfast, and a few others joined them to prepare dinner — a simple chicken pasta with garlic bread.
… Outside, the highways were closed and drivers were stuck in their cars, so Smith and the guests braved the flood to distribute food and water to stalled truckers. Finally, after a marathon shift and glowing reviews from guests, Smith’s co-worker made it into work Friday morning. He stayed around for a few hours to help her out, took a brief nap, then woke up and went right back to work until his family could safely drive to pick him up.
This is the kind of employee anyone would be proud to have.