Jaret Hucks Loves The Neighbor So Much So That He Opens His Motel To Flooding Victims

Myrtle Beach native, Jaret Hucks, opens his hotel to families displaced by flooding free of charge

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Jaret Hucks has been a saving grace for the Myrtle Beach-area residents displaced by Hurricane Florence’s historic flooding. “I said, ‘Come stay with me. Come stay at my house until you can go back to yours,'” Hucks said.

The house he’s referring to isn’t exactly a “house.” Hucks owns Myrtle Beach’s humble Midtown Inn and Cottages and over the past few years, he has made a name for himself by offering rooms to flooding evacuees free of charge.

He has given away nearly 1,000 free nights to some of the community’s poorest and most vulnerable evacuees. In all, his generosity has cost him an estimated $50,000 in services. And it’s not just humans he’s taken in. He’s welcomed dogs, a tortoise, and even a rescued baby squirrel named Mr. Squeakers.

As news of his good deeds spread, so has the urge to contribute. Good Samaritans have donated diapers, ice, and plenty of food—so much food that anyone staying at the Midtown now gets three square meals a day. “They came out of the woodwork,” he said. “People started running to me right away, ‘How can I help? What can I do?'”

In fact, from the new shoes on their feet to the hairs on their head, we didn’t see a single need going unmet — especially for the children who now play wonderfully oblivious to the suffering that surrounds them.

In an attempt to return the favor, some of the parents have been pitching in with housekeeping and other chores. Jaret appreciates the effort but says the best repayment has been the crayon on paper thank yous, as well as knowing with absolute certainty that he has made his mama proud.

The best rewards he’s received have been the thank-you cards made by children and knowing for sure that he has “made his mama proud.” “Love the neighbor, right? That’s what you’re supposed to do,” Husks mused. “My mama taught me that a long time ago.”

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