STUDIO B RAISING MONEY FOR
THE RED CROSS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THOSE
PHONES RINGING, CALL (713)
778-8920.
WE WILL BE CHECKING IN WITH
REPORTER DEE BROWN LATER ON TO
CHECK THE UPDATED TOTALS.
SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND BEGIN
TO REBUILD, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
CONTINUE TO LEND A HELPING HAND
TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED.
OUR FRIENDS AT KROGER ARE DOING
JUST THAT HERE WITH HOW YOU CAN
HELP, PLEASE WELCOME JOY AND
MARLENE STEWART.
LADIES, SO HOLY COW, YOU HAVE
BEEN SO BUSY JUST TRYING TO
REOPEN SOME STORES.
MARLENE, MANY OF THEM HAVE
REOPENED, RIGHT?
>> YES.
NOW.
OUR ASSOCIATES HAVE WORKED SO
HARD AROUND THE CLOCK TO TRY TO
GET US BACK TO THAT BECAUSE WE
UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS
TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY REALLY NEED THEIR LOCAL
KROGER STORE OPEN RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SERVE THAT.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT JUST FROM
HARVEY ON THE WEEKEND TO NOW AND
WE STARTED OFF WITH VIRTUALLY
JUST A HANDFUL OF STORES OPEN ON
SUNDAY, REBUILD, REBUILD, AND
TODAY WE'RE OPEN 'TIL 9:00
O'CLOCK AND WE HOPE TO GET BACK
TO REGULAR HOURS IN MOST
LOCATIONS TOMORROW.
>> THAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS.
IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE GOING TO THE
GROCERY STORE, SO MANY OF US,
WE'RE ALL SO BUSY LIVING OUR
LIVES OF THE WE GO ON AUTO
PILOT.
YOU SORT OF EXPECT YOU GO TO THE
STORE AND FOO IS THERE.
>> MANUALICCALLY THERE.
BUT THERE IS A HUGE PROCESS
SHELVES.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAD YOUR
FACEBOOK FEEDS BLOWING UP WITH
PEOPLE POSTING PHOTOS LIKE OH,
MY GOSH, THERE IS NO BREAD AT
THE STORE.
THERE IS NO WATER ANYMORE.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING
OVERTIME TO INSURE THAT FOOD IS
STOCKED ASAP, RIGHT?
>> ACTUALLY THE PLANNING STARTED
AS SOON AS WE HEARD ABOUT HARVEY
COMING DOWN.
TRUCK LOADS AND TRUCK LOADS OF
OBVIOUSLY EXTRA BREAD LOADS.
ALL THE BASICS THAT YOU WOULD
THINK ABOUT.
EVERY STORE HAD A DELIVERY
COMING IN EVERY NIGHT THURSDAY,
FRIDAY, SATURDAY OF LAST WEEK.
OUR ASSOCIATES MADE CERTAIN THEY
GOT SPOTS.
WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK.
>> IN THE MEANTIME, THEY HAVE
>> THEY DO.
I WILL SAY THAT.
WE HAVE AMAZING ASSOCIATES.
AFTER THE RECOVERY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PIECES
THAT HAD TO HAPPEN WITH THAT
JUST WITHIN THE LAST 48 HOURS,
600 TRUCKS, 600 TRUCKS HAVE BEEN
DELIVERED TO OUR STORES.
THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING.
>> UNPRECEDENTED MANPOWER.
WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THESE
HAPPEN.
THEY ARE THOSE MEN AND WOMEN.
THERE ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL FOLKS
IN UNIFORM THERE INSURING THAT
STORE SHELVES ARE RESTOCKED AND
PEOPLE HAVE FOOD TO EAT.
>> IT IS.
COUNTRY, OH, MY.
WE COULDN'T GET OUR -- OUR
WAREHOUSE WAS FLOODED.
WE COULD NOT GET DELIVERIES OUT
OF OUR OWN WAREHOUSE.
WE HAD THEM COMING FROM FIVE
DIFFERENT STATES.
OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS OUT
THERE IN KROGER LAND.
SO BIG THANKS TO THEM.
>> IN THE MEANTIME, YOU WERE
RESPONDERS, TOO.
>> FIRST RESPONDER, I KNOW JOY
IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
I GET SO PLEASED ABOUT WHAT OUR
STORES DID WITH OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS.
THEY WERE ON THE PHONE TO JOY
IMMEDIATELY AND WE GIVE THEM
LUNCHES.
WE'VE GIVEN WATER.
NEEDED.
THEY COME IN AND SAY, WE HAVE A
NEED, WE'RE THERE FOR THEM.
>> JOY, EXPLAIN HOW ALL OF THIS
WENT DOWN, BECAUSE THAT --
CLEARLY IT'S A CRITICAL PIPELINE
OF FOOD GOING TO THE MEN AND
WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES.
>> TRUE.
ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT, EMS THAT'S
CALLED, YES, WE'VE BEEN
DONATING.
A LOT OF THEM HAVEN'T GONE HOME
IN DAYS.
SO OUR STORES AREN'T GIVING THEM
FOOD, WE'RE GIVING THEM
TOILETRIES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T
KEEP GOING WITHOUT BEING TAKEN
CARE OF.
I'VE BEEN REALLY PROUD OF OUR
RESPONSIVE.
INSPIRATIONAL.
GUYS.
>> I LOVE THAT.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THIS LITTLE
>> YES.
THESE ARE AT EVERY REGISTER.
AND WE WOULD LOVE PEOPLE TO
THROW IN THEIR SPANISH CHANGE OR
MORE THAN THE SPARE CHANGE TO
HELP THE RED CROSS, JUST LIKE
HERE.
SO AT ANY KROGER, YOU CAN MAKE A
DONATION TO THE RED CROSS.
WE ALSO -- THE KROGER COMPANY
HAS GIVEN $100,000 TO THE
HOUSTON FOOD BANK.
INDICATED APPROACH.
THEY'RE HERE ALL YEAR TAKING
NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE WORKDAY IN AND DAY OUT TO
HELP KEEP THE RELIEF EFFORT
GOING.
WE'VE GOT INDIVIDUAL STORES
CALLING ABOUT NEAT FUND RAISERS.
OUR STORE IN WILLIS, THE BOY
SCOUTS COLLECTED CASH FROM
CUSTOMERS TO THE TUNE OF OVER
>> WOW.
>> AND TEN CART LOADS OF FOOD TO
GIVE TO THE LOCAL RELIEF EFFORT.
JUST THE BOY SCOUTS IN ONE
STORE.
>> SIX HOURS.
>> YEAH.
>> IT'S SO HEARTENING TO SEE
PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER.
YOU HAVE SO MANY SUPER FANS
HERE.
ONE DAY WE HAD A FULL HOUR ABOUT
THE KROGER APP ON YOUR PHONE.
PEOPLE ARE CRAZY ABOUT THE APP.
SEEING YOU GUYS OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY DOING GOOD WORK, BUT
ALSO WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES
BECAUSE I THINK AGAIN, WHAT'S
REMARKABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO IS
DONE INVISIBLY.
>> THE LOGISTICS ARE AMAZING.
>> THEY MUST BE JUST
UNFATHOMABLE.
>> THE CALLS OF HOW WE GET -- A
FEAT OF MATH AND SCIENCE AND
HUMAN INGENUITY, UNBELIEVABLE.
>> OUR WAREHOUSE, OUR ASSOCIATES
THERE, MOST FOLKS DON'T
UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU TALK ABOUT
FAMILIES, TOO.
SO WE'VE HAD FAMILIES THAT HAVE
LOST HOMES, LOST CARS,
EVERYTHING WE'RE SEEING AROUND
US.
TOTHESE FAMILIES ARE TRYING TO
TO WORK.
WE HAD 60 ASSOCIATES THAT COULD
NOT GET OUT OF OUR WAREHOUSE.
SO WHAT THEY WERE DOING, THEY
WOULD SLEEP -- THIS WAS TWO
DAYS -- THEY WOULD SLEEP AND
THEN THEY WOULD WORK.
THEN THEY WOULD SLEEP AND THEN
THEY WOULD WORK.
SO IT TOOK US TWO DAYS TO GETM TO
OUR WAREHOUSE.
OUR ASSOCIATES, I'M JUST TELLING
YOU, I KNOW I'VE SAID IT A
COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT IF YOU'RE
THAT DEDICATED THAT YOU'RE GOING
TO SLEEP AND WORK IN A SITUATION
LIKE THIS AND YOUR FAMILIES ARE
AT HOME AND YOU DON'T KNOW
DEDICATION.
THAT'S LOYALTY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY.
AGAIN, JUST -- HOUSTON ASTOUNDS
ME.
IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW HOUSTON'S
REALLY COME TOGETHER.
DOESN'T SURPRISE ME.
ABOUT HOUSTON.
HAVEN'T LIVED HERE THAT LONG.
BUT IT'S AN AMAZING CITY AND ALL
THE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING ALL THE
THINGS AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
AND OUR TEAMS ARE RIGHT THERE
WITH THEM.
WE HAVE SEVERAL ASSOCIATES THAT
ONCE THEY WERE NOT WORKING,
THEIR TEN OR 12 OR 14 HOURS,
THEY WERE IN BOATS BRINGING
PEOPLE IN.
SO CAN'T SAY ENOUGH.
WE DO HAVE FOLKS WHO COME IN AND
SAY, WOW, YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE
YOU NORMALLY DO.
WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE.
WE FELT LIKE IT WAS SO IMPORTANT
COMMUNITY.
YOU FEEL GOOD WHEN YOU WALK IN
THE STORE AND YOU SEE A FAMILIAR
CASHIER STAND.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT.
YOUR ROUTINE OF JUST GOING TO
THE STORE IS GONNA BE A WELCOME
CHANGE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
BY THE WAY, BREAD WAS LIKE THE
MOST POPULAR THING.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO BRING MO
>> WATER.
TRUCK LOADS AND TRUCK LOADS AND
TRUCK LOADS OF WATER.
THAT'S STILL COMING.
OBVIOUSLY WE STILL NEED THAT.
WE'VE GIVEN -- JOY IS GOING TO
TALK ABOUT TRUCK LOADS.
>> WE'VE GIVEN THREE TRUCK LOADS
TO THE SHELTERS OF WATER.
WE KNOW THAT'S A NEED AND
ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE AREAS
WHERE THERE IS A BOIL ORDER.
WE ALSO HAVE A MOBILE PHARMACY
TRAILER AT THE GRB THAT'S BEEN
FUNCTIONAL SINCE YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON SO THAT ALL OF THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE STAYING THERE
THAT NEED MEDS REFILLED OR HAVE
CONDITIONS THAT ARE WORSENING
BECAUSE OF THE TRAUMA THAT THEY
JUST LIVED THROUGH CAN BE HELPED
RIGHT THERE IN THE GRB.
THERE IS DOCTORS AND NURSES
RUNNING AROUND AND WALKING THE
SCRIPTS TO THE PHARMACIST.
THING.
PHARMACY.
JUST ABOUT HALF THE SIZE.
>> YOU ARE LIKE A MINI VERSION
OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.
MARLENE, JOY, I KNOW THAT'S AN
OVERSTATEMENT, BUT WE APPRECIATE
MUCH.
GOOD LUCK GETTING THE REST OF
>> YEAH.
>> PEOPLE SHOULD GIVE IN THE
STORES TO HELP THE RED CROSS.
>> THANK YOU.
ANOTHER GREAT WAY TO GIVE TO THE
PHONE BANK RIGHT NOW.