Deputies give homeless meals, toys, place to stay

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A group of Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies brought food, toys and blankets to a local motel to help a specific group of homeless people: around a dozen families living in their cars.

Cpl. Candy Maldonado has walked a few miles in some of the homeless children’s tiny shoes.

He was homeless himself as a child.

“The stuff we see on a daily basis, the traumatic events, the homeless stuff, the domestic violence, I was a product of all that,” Maldonado, who is part of the Homeless Intervention Team, said. “So, for me it’s a lot on a personal level.”

As part of the giveaway to these children living in cars, the group is also putting up families in a local motel until Jan. 2.

“Comfort, safety, not having to worry about people knocking on my car, or just anything. It’s very dangerous out there,” said Shannon Cook, who has been living in her car with her two young sons after losing her job as a cashier in October.

She’s trying to find a home more suitable than a sedan.
 
“I reached out to a couple of resources with no luck because everything is at capacity,” Cook said.

“And we can’t help all, but we can help some, and some is better than none,” said Margi Pattin, who is the head of Hero’s Hub, the charity that raised money for the event and helped put it together for the 11 homeless families in less than a week.

Maldonado, this event connects him with his own past. He hopes his story encourages the kids and the parents he’s helping, can look ahead to a better future.

“And give them the sense of hope that ‘Hey, it’s possible,” and we’re there to cheer you on, and to have your back where you can reach out when you need something, its going to be that much more bearable,” Maldonado said.