No matter what kind of town or city you live in, big or small, the sad truth is that there are people experiencing homelessness all around us.
And the fact of the matter is that it’s not hard to become homeless. If you don’t have a family unit with disposable resources, one lay-off could mean the difference between paying rent and panhandling just to eat one meal a day. Of the many social issues plaguing the nation and world, this is among the most devastating.
Shannon Loveless and her family know that heartbreak all too well. For four months, they had been living in their van behind a local Walmart, barely able to get by.
Not only were they struggling with sudden homelessness, but police officers and civilians had also pushed them out of almost all the places they camped out.
Sadly, the family of four was forced to depend on food banks to eat, and slowly, their resources were wearing painfully thin. But in December 2017, interaction with two Police Deputies, Tim Yee and Johnny Le changed their lives.
Shannon assumed she was about to be in trouble and was told to leave the premises since she had never been treated kindly by officers in these situations before.
“It was a shock because we didn’t know if we were going to get into trouble,” Shannon told CBS 13.
But the deputies quickly noticed the kids were dirty and hungry, and it shook them to the core.
“I kinda choked up a little bit just to see the kids hungry and dirty,” one of the deputies said.
They showed up the next day with bags of groceries and toys. They didn’t stop with the gifts, though.
They helped the family get a hotel room, so they would all have access to a bathroom and warm beds. Shannon could use the kitchen to prepare meals, and the kids could watch television. Best of all, the family was safe.
“Just for them to have a warm place to sleep, watch cartoons, you know things the kids do, you take it for granted, it’s been awesome,” a teary Shannon said.
Shannon said what the officers have done has helped them get back to normal life again.
“It’s a total game changer, the motivation is there and the morale kicked in and I’m ready,” she added.
Now that Shannon knows that her kids are safe, warm, and comfortable, she can focus on figuring out her future. She now has an address that she can use for jobs, and she can get cleaned up herself for interviews. Things are definitely looking up for the family.
Hopefully, Shannon can get back on her feet and provide a more stable living environment for her family.
Watch the video report below for more details:
Source: AWM
