For many people, having a reliable vehicle is very important. Many of us wouldn’t be able to make it to work or school otherwise. Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes people are lucky enough to live close enough to school or work that they can walk there.
For those of us that rely on a vehicle to make it from point A to point B, when there’s car trouble, that’s a big problem. That means showing up late for work, possibly missing important appointments, and having a large chunk of time taken out of the day or possibly even days waiting around for the car to get fixed. Not to mention the expense of a car repair.
A father noticed police officers looking into the windows of his car. What happened next left him stunned.
James moved with his 10-year-old daughter in search of a fresh start.
“I packed up everything that we own in the truck, and… we just drove here,” the father said. “It was more of a risk. I couldn’t get a job for anything, couldn’t get a place to live.”
Because of his struggle with finding a job, James and his daughter were forced to live in his Suburban. However, the vehicle had broken down, and they were sleeping in the SUV, while the father had to walk his daughter to school every day.
The girl’s school became concerned that the girl kept arriving late at school and that the father and daughter were living in a car, so they called the local police to investigate. Police Officer Butler went to the scene to find out for himself.
“I saw them looking at my truck, and I said, ‘Officers, what is going on?'” James said. “[He] said, ‘We’re trying to help you.’ I said, ‘Ok, I can accept that.'”
The father added, “I’m not used to getting help from cops.”
When Butler heard James’s story and learned that he had lost his job and that his car was dead, he wanted to help out.
“It was the right thing to do,” Butler said. “Because at any point in time in our lives, any one of us can be in that same situation, offering assistance to another human being is the right thing to do.”
Butler and his fellow police officers were able to help the father and daughter find a shelter in which to stay. They also brought James’s SUV to SV Automotive to have it fixed. Both companies happily agreed to donate their services.
“Feels really different to help someone who you know is down on their luck,” said SV Automotive owner Jere.
Officers are also working to help James and his daughter find permanent housing. The father is very grateful for the officers’ help.
“I think it’s awesome, I think it’s really cool—very unexpected, but very cool,” he said.
Readers shared their thoughts on the story on Facebook.
“Once again, we have another example of how caring most police officers are!” one reader commented. “His example should be followed by everyone. Because he made a difference in two lives! So did the people who reached out and helped when the officer asked for help. It is people like this that are the traditional backbone of our country, and I am proud of them!”
“Oh man thank you everyone for helping this father and daughter,” another user wrote. “Winter is coming and it gets darn cold. Hopefully he will be able to get a job and make a real home for the both of you. Keep up the faith, and good luck to both of you.”
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