Volunteers gather to provide meals for those working to repair Cushing community

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - On Wednesday, Cushing residents gained encouragement, a helping hand and a bite to eat to keep them going as the cleanup process begins after the fallout from Monday’s storms.

Toby Self, the owner of Self-Made Donuts, said he was born and raised in Cushing. He said he has a heart to serve, especially when his community is hurting.

“I love the people. I pastor a church here locally and so we want to help the people. And we have the facilities and the capabilities to so we jump in wherever we’re needed,” Self said.

Self fed the tree trimmers, the linemen and the community members displaced from their homes or still without power due to the storm.

“They’re tired, they’re hungry, just like I am. And some of them don’t have the resources like ways to cook, food and things like that. They may have things in their freezer to cook, but no way to cook it,” Self said.

Leslie Nichols lives in Appleby. And while she was not affected by the storm, she comes to Cushing everyday to teach at the high school. She said Monday was just a normal school day, and since then, everything has changed.

“I felt guilty almost. Getting up and having electricity and having warmth and the amenities and I just couldn’t do that. I was raised to serve others before myself. And so this is a lesson I can teach kids in my classroom that you cannot learn in a book,” Nichols said.

Nichols contacted many of her students and asked them to get involved in the community efforts.

“We have kids going out and picking up sticks, we have kids serving meals, we have kids unloading water that have been here probably before they would start school. They’d be late to school, but they were on time here to help today,” Nichols said.

Love INC in Nacogdoches is partnering with Nacogdoches emergency management to coordinate donations and volunteer efforts to help those impacted by the storms in the county.

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