The story from 2017 involves a compassionate police sergeant who made a huge difference in the lives of one single mom and her two twin daughters.
Erin Harrison is the mother of two twin girls, Hayden and Abbigale. As WXYZ-TV Detroit reports, the family lives in the small city of Walled Lake, Michigan.
Sergeant Heather Kolke was just doing her job patrolling the city when Harrison approached her. Erin Harrison asked Sgt. Heather Kolke if it was illegal to sleep in a car, and as a mother herself, Kolke said she knew she had to get Harrison a place to stay.
The police officer began asking questions to learn more about the family’s situation. She then learned that Harrison had recently been evicted after not being able to keep up with her rent payments. She had been employed at a fast-food restaurant for four years but the pay was not enough to keep up with the bills.
Harrison’s story struck a chord with Sgt. Kolke, who as a mother herself, knew she had to do something to help.
Harrison was desperate and she thought she could stay in her car with her girls until she was able to save up enough money in order for them to get back on their feet again. Until then, she planned on parking her car at Walled Lake Elementary School so that she could easily drop the kids off at schooltime.
As a fellow mother, Sgt. Kolke wanted to do something to help them. She told the news outlet, “That’s why I knew I had to at least, you know, get her a place to stay.” So she sprung into action and even got the community involved.
Sgt. Kolke asked around for donations for the Harrison family, in a bid to raise enough money to put them in a hotel and keep them off the streets. That Saturday also happened to be Hayden and Abbigale’s 9th birthday, so Sgt. Kolke also managed to raise some more funds so that the two girls could at least celebrate it properly.
Inspired by Kolke,
Walled Lake Mayor Linda Ackley asked the community on 7 Action News for help getting a long term solution for Harrison, who has worked for four years at the McDonalds at Beck and Pontiac trail.
A father saw the story as he watched to news with his children, who asked him if their family could help.
“He said, ‘Dad, what can we do about it?'” said Eddie Osram. “I said, let me see what I can do.”
Osram, who owns a Marathon gas station on Wixom Road, said he called fellow business owners and they responded, saying the community gets together and helps those who are part of the family
He said even his children donated, giving away their savings of $341, wanting it to go to the children they saw on television.
More than $2,500 was raised, in addition to clothing for the girls.
Harrison said the money will be used to get them in the home.
“I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “It means the world to my girls to get somewhere.”
The outpouring of support for Harrison from her community was so immense that she could hardly express her gratitude. She told the news outlet, “It melts my heart to know that there are people out there that care.” She could not be more thankful for all of the generosity of her community, as she said she’d use the money to get her and her family into a home. She added:
“I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to my girls to be able to get somewhere.”
This story is a reminder of how we never really know someone else’s situation and how a small gesture of kindness can add up to truly change someone’s life.
