CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The owner of a westside meat market who suffered some pretty bad roof damage following a grease fire last week is thanking the community he serves.
After decades of being a good neighbor, those neighbors are now returning the favor to help a friend get back on his feet.
The fire happened just a day before Easter Sunday.
The Carniceria Hidalgo meat market located in the heart of the city's westside at Greenwood Drive and Dunbar Street is the very definition of community, helping folks out when they need it, so when the fire happened, those same neighbors stepped up, giving back and getting the doors of the longtime staple back open in record time.
Albert Padron took over the business from his father.
"It hurt man," Padron said. "It hurt especially because you put everything into this. You try to go more, more up but things just seem to happen."
While firefighters were on the scene within minutes, the damage to the beloved meat market was already done.
Padron grew up helping out at the family market and eventually took over the business following the death of his father four years ago.
"Cancer is a horrible thing man and that happens to the best people you know," he said.
Firefighters saved most of the building and the mural on the outside that was dedicated to his father.
He said his dad was known for giving back to customers.
"It was open for whoever, whenever, however," Pardon said. "Even the meat, if they needed chicken leg quarters, my dad would be donating or match what they buy."
3NEWS spoke with neighbor Rosie Gatica who was walking her dogs past the store.
She said Padron inherited his father's same giving heart.
"We appreciate Albert, everything he does he helps out a lot of people believe it our not," Gatica said.
The fire happening just a day before Easter, but employees pressed on and continued to work out of their food truck.
"So I was able to help save Easter Sunday," Padron said.
After all, this place isn't just a store but the center of a community.
"It's always people first you know," he said.
Those neighbors and customers are now returning the favor.
Within an hour after word got out, the community responded.
"One guy said, 'hey man I got sheets of plywood,' got another uncle of mine that does contracting, 'hey man I got 2x6s at the house, everything I needed to put it together," Padron said. "They gave it to me, that was incredible, me I don't like to ask anybody for anything we all work for whatever works."
Thanks to that overwhelming support, the damage is now replaced and patched in just five days. Albert said he also received the greenlight from the health department to open his doors to the public.
"I had people lined up in their trucks ready to knock it down and get it going," he said. "I still can't believe it you know, without them, I would have been closed 2 to 3 weeks, us being a small business, it's tough, bills don't stop no mater what happens."
Despite what would otherwise be a crippling tragedy for a business, in his time of need, Albert credits the community for helping keep the doors open.
"Everybody came around and they showed they had my back you know," he said.
One of the employees was also burned in that fire.
He is said to be okay, and actually came back to work that very day after getting checked out at the hospital.