A great American, with a tool box

March 3, 2021 20 Comments

This is a story about a plumber, no wise cracks. (Pardon the pun.)

While most of us just stared dumbly at the crazy cold that brought Texas to its knees, turning out the lights and bursting the water pipes, Andrew Mitchell was spurred to action.

Andrew Mitchell loading his pickup truck

He reacted when he saw a call for help from plumbers in the Lone Star State on Facebook.

Because plumbing supplies — such as copper tubes and plastic pipes — had been cleaned out, he loaded his pickup truck with about $2,000 worth of materials, and left for the 22-hour drive from his Morristown, N.J., home to Houston.

Along for the ride was his wife Kisha, their 2-year-old son Blake, and Kisha’s brother Isiah, a college student.

Andrew and Isiah worked from sunup to sundown repairing the plumbing in dozens of homes before running out of the supplies they brought.

Andrew’s odyssey was noticed by some news outlets, and I saw it on NBC.

We are accustomed to stories about first responders leaving home to help others in emergencies. Plumbers parachuting in was new to me and my feeling was that Andrew Mitchell is a great American, proving one person can make a difference.

With help from Google I got the address of his company, Mitchell Plumbing and Heating (which has great customer reviews): 247 Speedwell Ave., Morristown, N.J., 07960. 

I sent him a note, thanking him for not just caring, but acting. You can, too, if you want.

20 thoughts on “A great American, with a tool box”

  1. Well, now, that is One Major Mitzvah and a Half! It’s good to see and hear these stories – and we should see them more often, especially when you present them.

  2. Stu, I can’t find web page for him. Should we just drop a note in snail mail?

  3. A very different hero, but a hero nonetheless. Talk about selfless dedication!
    Thank you, Stu, for telling his story.

  4. A positive story, indeed. Maybe this is the start of something new, even if it’s once a week, to pick someone with a positive news story. <3

  5. posted this one on FB, too and did a shout out to my friends in north Jersey to use him!

  6. HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
    Stu,
    Truly, a shout out to the Mitchell caravan ( truckavan ) !
    I did read of this venture, then I wondered why we don’t hear of more good deeds. Okay, the guy went on a 22 hour hike. Did anyone ever hear of the “Cajun Navy”?
    On the downside. When I first got into the Philly building trades, the apprentices from the various locals did just as we are reading. Quietly, no fanfare, just giveback and playing it forward. Don’t know why it stopped, but it did.
    Stu, I’m sure you remember “Flag Man”?. He tried to get the building trades involved in saving all of the War Memorials in the city. NOTHING. Sad side of that. When I was an apprentice, probably 90% of all new members were Vets. What happened ?
    Tony

    1. I know of the Cajun Navy, others can Google. As for building trades, I know some unions do send apprentices out to do charitable work. The just-arrested Johnny Doc inculcated public service into his members, as “good politics.”

  10. It’s a shame more stories like this don’t get the attention they deserve! Thank You Andrew!

  11. Thanks for shining a light on a Good Samaritan, Stu. I suspect there were many others who reached out in anonymity.

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