Weeks after tornadoes hit the town of Alto, David Peters came driving through to help in the form of a 71 passenger school bus, turned mobile soup kitchen.

“To be able to help people that are in need, but also to be able to sit down and interact with them which is always what I wanted to do with the bus,” said David Peters.

Through the destruction, life can be found in Alto.

“The love and the happiness and the joy that people have here is encouraging, even among all the damage and the turmoils,” said Peters.

Peters sees in his bus as a chance “not just to provide a meal but get to know the people we are providing the meals for.”

While some may think its a simple soup kitchen, the people in Alto say it’s not, but instead a sign of hope driving through East Texas. 

Ellie Mumphrey has lived in Alto all her life and now with the storms gone, she is blessed to see people like Peters.

“I am proud to see them come to Alto, to help out Alto, Alto needs help,” said Mumphrey.

With bellies full sitting together, with or without help, this sense of love can always be found here. 

“We as a community, we would have pulled together, and fixed each other a meal, that’s just the way we are. We take care of our own baby, you can believe we take care of our own,” said Mumphrey.

And doing so with a little help from a bus. 
 

Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to show that David Peters is from Jacksonville, not Alto. We apologize for the error.