Papa John’s Gives Texas Employee New Car After His Catches Fire

A Papa John's employee in Houston was doing the best he could. He'd had a hard time and found himself living in his car and using it to make pizza deliveries to make a little money. Then things got even worse.

ABC 13 in Houston reports that Isaac Sanchez had been working for Papa John's for 15 years, he was a great employee, motivated, cheerful, just down on his luck. He'd fallen in the ice and snow in February and broken one of his kneecaps, had to go to the hospital for a while, and then found himself facing all of those bills.

To make ends meet he was both living in his car and using it to make pizza deliveries for Papa John's. One night Isaac was trying to sleep when he was awakened by someone trying to steal his catalytic converter. His waking startled them and they ran off but they'd already begun the process of cutting his converter out of his exhaust system.

Unaware of the damage underneath his car, Isaac continued using his it for deliveries and was sitting in it one evening watching a movie when people came up telling him that his car was on fire. Isaac escaped injury but the car (his home on wheels) was totaled.

That's when Isaac's good nature and friends on the job paid off for him. Word spread through the restaurant and the Papa John's chain and last Wednesday Keith Sullins, the company's president, gifted him with a new car.

Sullins said he just wanted to recognize Isaac for being such a great employee for all these years and to thank him for all he's done for the company.

Meanwhile, Isaac's friends from Papa John's got together to put him up in a hotel for a few nights and even started a GoFundMe page for his benefit. They had a goal of raising $7,000 and as of Friday afternoon were closing in on $9,000.