(RNN) - Soon after Tropical Storm Harvey's floodwaters began forcing people from their homes in the Houston area, Jim McIngvale opened the doors of his two Gallery Furniture stores to provide shelter, food and hope to hundreds.
On Tuesday, groups congregated in living room displays and kids in pajamas jumped on mattresses in McIngvale's central Houston and west Houston stores.
"The other morning, a young boy came up to me," said McIngvale, better known by locals as "Mattress Mack." "His parents stumbled in here. He was crying. He said, 'Can we stay here?' It breaks your heart."
More than 700 people - and even their pets - are calling the stores home for now. Both stores have restaurants, and they've been serving guests breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, Between their rescue missions, National Guard troops are sleeping on mattresses in the Richmond, TX Gallery store.
Our GF N FWRY & GF Grand PKWY stores are open for those in need. If you can safely join us, we invite you for shelter and food. God Bless. pic.twitter.com/IHHgjKmjMY
— MattressMack (@MattressMack) August 28, 2017
Twelve years ago, McIngvale welcomed around 200 people from Katrina-ravaged Louisiana, offering them shelter in his stores for a couple of days. He said that's why he immediately made the decision Sunday to offer refuge once again.
"Some of them will stay two or three days. Some of them will probably stay weeks until they get back on their feet." he said in an interview with CNN Tuesday. "We're thrilled to have these people here.
"Life dealt them a bad hand, and we're trying to help relieve some of the stress and anxiety that's on them right now, and hopefully get them back to a life of normality in the future. If we can do that, and help make their lives a little bit easier, then maybe we've done something right in our lives."
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