Couple Packs Up Car and Drives Over 1000 Miles To Feed 900+ Tornado Victims

By Kayla Kunkel June 21, 2019 at 7:49am

A Florida couple was miraculously able to feed over 900 tornado victims and first responders in Ohio after driving over 1,000 miles with only $200 in their pockets.

Stanley and Susan Peoples have owned and operated Beach Brothers BBQ since 2010. Soon after the brick-and-mortar restaurant first opened in 2016, the demand from the community was so great that it made more sense for them to transition to a mobile business model so they could continue to feed the community while also return to their catering roots.

“We’ve always wanted to. When there were hurricanes and Katrina and all that stuff, we were always like, ‘Gosh, I wish we could just take the smoker and go feed people.’ But when you have to close your restaurant, it’s tough,” Susan told Liftable, a section of The Western Journal.

They had no idea that the first opportunity would hit so close to home. While the couple has lived in Florida since 2006, they both consider Dayton, Ohio, home.

Now that they operate their business as a mobile vendor, they have more flexibility to go help where it was needed. After they saw the devastation in Dayton following the tornadoes in late May, they knew they wanted to help.

I met Susan and Stan, owners of Beach Brothers BBQ, a couple of years ago in, Florida when someone stole meat from their restaurant. I’m so happy to have been able to share the impact they’re making! https://t.co/GjfKyzcV0t pic.twitter.com/5pU9eu6WY0

— Jesse Pagan (@JessePagan_) June 13, 2019

Once they decided that they were going to drive up north with the smoker in tow, Susan asked people on Facebook to help provide food and other items for those affected by the storm and the first responders.

Thanks to that post, they were able to collect nine tubs full of clothes and supplies before leaving Florida.

“We left with $200 in our pocket, and it’s $400 round-trip, and this faith,” she said. “We said, ‘God, we want to feed these people.’ and ‘Will you help us?’ And He did!”

Once they arrived in Ohio, more people donated food so that Stan could begin smoking right away, which continued throughout the entire time they were in Ohio.

“It was God. It wasn’t us. It was God,” she said. “This could not have happened without Him and all of the donations because it didn’t come from us.”

Susan compares it to when Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fishes. “We fed over 900 people in four days,” she said.

Looking back, Susan is still in awe of how God used them to bless so many in Ohio.

“This was a true step of faith,” she said.

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