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Single Father of 4 Overcomes Homelessness

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Jan 13, 2012 at 8:38 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 13, 2012 at 8:42 PM MDT

Several weeks ago NewsChannel 5 told the story of a single father of four, who lost his home, his job, and was forced to find shelter at the Great Falls Rescue Mission. But now, the Truesdale family is no longer homeless.

Homelessness comes with a stigma. In many cases people view them as just lazy, unmotivated, maybe even addicted to substances.

But there are individuals who are just down on their luck and need a helping hand. I found one these people, and given the opportunity, he is has pulled himself up by his bootstraps and changing his situation.

In early October I learned about Shawn Truesdale, a single father of four living at the Great Falls Rescue Mission.

“And I thought it was probably the lowest point in my life,” Truesdale said. “I had no where for them to go.”

Before moving to Great Falls in August, his wife had become addicted to drugs, and left her family in California. Shawn was forced to quit his job in order to care for his three daughters and son... who all under the age of 12.

“It was one of those things where I really didn’t have much options,” Truesdale said.

Without income, he began selling his belongings to pay for rent, but after selling off all of his prized possessions, he and his children were left homeless.

“I didn’t know what else to do,” Truesdale said.

He came to Great Falls because his sister lives nearby, and applied for a room at the Rescue Mission. But they were full, and with no money, he had to tuck his kids behind bushes at the Paris Gibson museum where they slept fitfully on and off throughout the night.

“I stood there the whole night,” Truesdale said, “because I didn’t want to risk falling asleep. It was warm, and I had blankets for them but when you run out of money, you do what you got to do.”

I told his story in October and it just so happened that a developer named Gary Hackett turned on the news that night.

“I came home from a trip out of state,” Hackett said, “and just caught the last clip of your article with the Rescue Mission with Shawn and his four kids being in there and I needed someone to work for me.”

“Two days after the interview with you, I went to work,” Truesdale said.

Gary hired Shawn to work on a house, which helped provide some money. But Gary knew the family had been living at the Mission, in one room for three months, and offered to rent that house to Shawn at half its cost.

“It’s just tough for an individual living with four kids that’s a single parent, being able to work a full time,” Hackett said.

Now Shawn and his kids who attend Longfellow Elementary are starting fresh, and with steady work, Shawn can move past those cold nights spent in the park and offer his children a promising future.

“There’s still a lot of people that need a hand not a hand out that are willing to work --- give them a hand,” Truesdale said.

Gary Hackett’s generosity is to not only be admired by to be duplicated. If you have an opportunity to help someone living at the Rescue Mission...please do.

The individuals there want to work and want to make a better life for themselves.

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TXB said on Saturday, Jan 14 at 7:48 AM

Remember only us who have can help those who don’t!!

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