You never know when tragedy and tough times will come knocking on the door. You can be going about your normal routine when your life is turned upside down, and you don’t quite know how to react. Sometimes, you have prepared for the worst, and there is a plan to put into action (depending on the situation); other times, things are way too rough, and you don’t know what avenue to take for help. One mom was facing a similar situation, and she tried to fend for her family the best she could.
Erin Harrison and her two 9-year-old daughters made a life out of living in their car, parked in the twin girls’ school parking lot. No one knew this until one day when the mom-of-two walked up to Sgt. Heather Kolke and started seeking some legal advice.
All Erin wanted to know was whether or not it is illegal to sleep in their car, while parked in the school’s parking lot — they had been evicted from their home because she couldn’t afford the rent anymore, which had spiked quite drastically. Although the woman works extra long hours at a local McDonalds, to try to fulfill her daughters’ needs, moving into a home isn’t possible right now because of the lack of funds. It was at this point that Sgt. Kolke knew she had to do something to help the mother and her two kids.
Sgt. Kolke is a mother as well, so she said that she knew she had to do whatever it took to get these ladies into a home of their own. She started off by reaching out to her friends and colleagues to help pool money to get the three into a hotel room for the night; she wanted them to be as cozy and comfortable as possible for the night, as she devised a more concrete plan to help. A part of the police officer’s plan was also to give the two 9-year-old twins, Hayden and Abbigale, a birthday party to celebrate. The occasion was just a few days after the day they were found living in the parking lot.
The fact that this family is in distress quickly went around, and a lot of people started connecting to lend a hand. Local businesses and residents came together to help put Erin and her girls into a home. A total of $2,500 was raised in such a short time span, and there is still support pouring in from everywhere.
We’re glad to see that this story took a positive turn with the help of so many community members.
Click below to watch an interview with Erin and the rest of the news report.
