He’s truly selfless!
A Louisiana father of five got a huge surprise for his community work after Hurricane Ida, Good Morning America (GMA) reports.
Samuel Mamou is a special education teacher and father of five who stepped up to help his neighbors impacted by Hurricane Ida. After the storm ravaged Louisiana this past August, severely damaging his hometown of La Place, Louisiana. Mamou organized congregants at his church, New Wine Christian Fellowship Church, to help those in need.
Mamou’s home and the school he teachers at were also damaged in the storm, but he continued to help others, spearheading efforts to distribute water, food, and cleaning supplies to those who needed them. His wife Kristen said that’s just the type of person her husband is, “someone who always thinks of others first.”
“It’s just something that he does because he loves to give back. He loves to help people,” Kristen said.
Recently, the community and GMA came together to honor Mamou’s work in the community, heroic kindness, and just to say thank you. Mamou was joined alongside GMA reporters, Grammy award-winning Gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and retired New Orleans Saints star Benjamin Watson.
The Mamou family received a $10,000 check from Sheex, a bedding and mattress company, to assist with home rebuilding efforts. Clorox also donated $20,000 and two truckloads of supplies to Mamou and the church to help purchase more Clorox supplies for the community. Watson surprised Mamou with a signed jersey from NOLA Saints player Alvin Kamara and tickets for the family to attend an upcoming football game.
“We can do a lot with this. We can do a whole lot with this. Thank you so much,” Mamou said, overwhelmed by all of the generosity.
Photo Courtesy of Kristen Mamou
New Wine Christian Fellowship Church founder Neil Bernard, who is also Bernard’s father-in-law, praised his efforts, saying, “You can imagine for so many people, it’s hot, no water, no power, and no food. It can make life very miserable. Sam is the one getting it all out, making sure that families get water, get food, get cleaning supplies, and everything they need to get back on their feet.”
Latanya Eugene, a volunteer who works with Mamou, said his commitment is inspiring to her.
“He can easily say, ‘Well, no, I don’t want to come down. I have to take care of mine,’ but, no, that’s not who he is. He’s here at 7:30, 8 o’clock every morning, getting things set up. He’s smiling with the people, giving them a smile, you know, letting them know things [are] going to be OK,” Eugene said.
Blaine Robertson, another volunteer, echoed those sentiments, calling Mamou a “modern-day hero.”
“We forget to kind of look at the people who are in our lives every day who are really doing the work to help and impact someone else,” she said.
Photo Courtesy of Kristen Mamou
Mamou said the recognition is just a reminder to keep pushing and keep the faith.
“This moment here just shows me once again that if you take care of God’s business, he’ll handle us as well. I’m just humbled and grateful. It’s not just about me; it’s about this team. They’ve been helping out every day,” he said.
Congratulations, Sam, and thank you for your service. Because of you, we can!
Photo Courtesy of Good Morning America