When Legacy Shows Up
The day our U-Haul truck broke down while hundreds of families waited for food.
You never know where a 2nd & 4th Thursday morning will lead.
One morning during our scheduled Free Food Drive-Thru distribution day, our transportation specialist, Maurice Hunter, was driving the U-Haul truck 30 minutes away from hundreds of families who were waiting. Carrying eight pallets of food up San Timoteo Canyon, he heard a boom followed by a cloud of smoke. The truck had no more power, forcing it to come to a complete stop.
Concerned and shocked, he jumped out of the truck into heavy traffic while a fire truck forced everyone to pull over to clear the way. The fire truck was headed in the opposite direction for another emergency. Not only was the vehicle nonfunctional while carrying a full truckload of food, but his safety was also at risk. He called the highway patrol to help direct traffic, but no one came. The only option at that point was to call U-Haul, which dispatched a driver from Legacy Towing & Transport Inc.
According to Maurice’s story, as soon as the tow truck pulled up, he felt relieved by the driver’s kindness. His name was George. He immediately attempted to pull the U-Haul onto the tow truck's bed, but the load was too heavy.
It was during that moment of complication, while George was working through the problem on the side of the road, that Maurice called founder B. Hunter at the distribution site with a concern: "The tow truck finally made it, but it might not be able to pull it because of the weight of the food." She remained calm and said, "I know it will work out. We are standing in faith."
Meanwhile, back at the distribution site, the community was waiting. B. Hunter and the PSL team knew they had to keep the families informed and hopeful. So they went to each car and shared this message:
“You know how we say there are Victory Opportunities? Well, today’s Victory Opportunity is that our U-Haul truck is stuck in San Timoteo Canyon. But a tow truck is on its way to bring the food here for our team to unload. We just want to update you that there will be a delay. And when you see that tow truck pull up, be sure to clap and honk your horns because it is coming.” Committed to still serve, the traffic team gave everyone the option to exit the line. Surprisingly, every family stayed and waited.
The U-Haul would not go all the way up, so he had to do it another way. George assured Maurice, saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll get it done regardless.” He hitched it differently so he could drag it from the front rather than carry it on the bed. Once secured, they proceeded toward the site. During the drive, Maurice mentioned the work that Power Speaks Louder does in the community. He told George about the Emmy Award and the impact PSL has made in the Inland Empire.
When George pulled up to the distribution site in the Moreno Valley Mall parking lot at 10:01 AM after that long moment of uncertainty, B. Hunter and the team saw the tow truck approaching with the U-Haul attached. The community members, a sea of faces waiting for food, were still there. B. Hunter grabbed the megaphone and signaled for everyone to honk their horns. And they did. The sound of hundreds of horns filled the air as the U-Haul came into sight.
Many community members had been waiting since 4 AM expecting a 10:30 AM distribution. When George arrived at 10:01 AM, the team exhaled.
George had a choice to make. He could unhitch the truck, leave it at the site, and leave us to call a new tow truck to handle the rest. That would have been the standard protocol. Instead, George made a different decision. He promised Maurice he would stay, not just until the job was done, but he would get in the truck and help.
As the team and George worked together to unload all eight pallets of food, something happened. George had tears in his eyes.
A few team members noticed, then B. Hunter, Maurice, and the entire team, like a team huddle of genuine care, rallied around him with hugs. They asked him why he was crying.
George shared his story:
“You know, the truck was pretty heavy, but something told me just get it going one way or another. And he told me everything about what you guys do. It was like, oh, I come from a family that didn’t have much. So stuff like this means a lot. I appreciate you guys letting me help you guys and everything. This means a lot.
Honestly, just the fact that you guys are willing to sit here and do this for everybody and try so hard just to make it happen no matter what. You know, instead of turning people away or postponing it to another day, because some of these people need it today, needed it yesterday. So that’s how I see it. I feel like it needed to be done. It had to be done. So I was gonna figure it out.
And showing up and seeing everybody, that’s peace and joy in itself. This is amazing what you guys are doing. People appreciate this more than you guys think. To help the community is everything, especially nowadays. We don’t have helping hands anymore. Thank you guys for letting me be part of it.”
George stayed long enough to see the PSL team begin filling the food boxes. By 11:30 AM, he hitched the U-Haul back up and took it away on the tow truck.
The distribution did not begin serving families until 12:30 PM, a two-hour delay from the original 10:30 AM start time. But because George showed up and the community stayed patient, the families were served. As the cars moved through, a community member called out from her window, “Good job. You guys did a good job. God bless you.”
That simple blessing captured what everyone felt that day.
This is what it looks like when you refuse to let a breakdown become a defeat. It is the moment a tow truck driver from Legacy Towing & Transport Inc. shows up, looks at eight pallets of food, and decides that today he is not just a driver. He is part of the mission.
What our team calls a Victory Opportunity does not eliminate the delay. The families still waited. The team still worked through uncertainty. But what came out of that delay was greater than anything we could have planned. George found himself in the work, the community found patience, and PSL was reminded once again that the mission is bigger than any single obstacle.
As we share the Power Speaks Louder journey with our readers and contributors, we invite you to see the Victory Opportunities in your life today.
If you ever need a tow truck in the Inland Empire, Legacy Towing showed up for us, and we believe they will show up for you, too.
Legacy Towing & Transport Inc.
George Rivera | (909) 238-0797 | legacytowandtransport@gmail.com
Power Speaks Louder is committed to showing up for low-income families in our community every 2nd and 4th Thursday. If you would like to support our ongoing efforts, donate directly to the program today! Be sure to select "Community Outreach" in the designation box on the donation form. Thank you in advance!
Love this!!!!!