A customer at the Pizza Inn in Greenville, South Carolina had a complaint - he asked an employee to refill a lettuce bowl and it wasn't done.
The manager stepped in and privately explained to the customer that over half the kitchen staff have special needs. They are each trained to do a specific task. Refilling the lettuce bowl was not that particular employee's job. Dissatisfied with this explanation, the customer suggested potential diners be made aware of the circumstances.
Owner Amanda Cartaigne responded by posting a sign on the door: "We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and hire ALL of God's children." Cartaigne later told reporters her employees "are like my kids. I wanted to do something that was not rude, but got my point across."
The employees and their family members appreciate Cartaigne's support and the opportunity the job provides. One employee's mother said, "He loved the fact that he has money in the bank and he can actually go buy his favorite video game."
About her employees who have special needs, Cartaigne said, "If you have the patience to let them take their time and learn at their pace, when the light bulb comes on, they are unstoppable."
Watching the news at home in San Antonio, Armando Colunga heard that a tractor-trailer of illegal immigrants had been stopped nearby. He saw video of the 54 detainees sitting on the ground, awaiting their fate. Colunga felt compelled to act. He jumped in his car and drove to the site, unsure of exactly what he wanted to do.
As he neared the immigrants' location, he saw a Little Caesar's Pizza. It occurred to him that the detainees had been inside that truck for some time and may not have eaten, so he bought seven pizzas. He brought them to the detectives and officers guarding the detainees. They confirmed his fear - the men, women, and teens now sitting outside the truck had been given water but no food. He asked for permission to distribute the pizza, and that permission was granted.
Colunga learned the detainees are from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Brazil. Of Mexican descent himself, Colunga sympathizes with those who leave Latin America in search of a better life. He told a news affiliate, "If they were black or African people or white people coming from London ... I would have done the same thing," he said. "It's not about race." He also thanked the officers who allowed him to distribute the food.
The tractor-trailer driver has been charged with human smuggling.
