Being a single father of 5 is already a challenge, what more if you were to become homeless?
Joseph Cantu of Pontiac, Michigan, is now a single father of not just one but 5 children. Not only that, Joseph and his kids are now homeless.
A homeless father of 5
Joseph and his children were recently forced out of their home after his wife left him and their five children. How can a father of 5 handle being a single dad with no home to shelter his little ones?
Cantu didn’t have a choice but to leave his work as a professional polisher to be able to take care of his 5 kids.
“I never thought this would happen to myself anyway but what bothers me the most is that they (his kids) have to endure it as well,” Joseph Cantu said to Fox 2, “and luckily they’re small enough they probably won’t remember it.”
Imagine having to fight your own emotions just to be able to show your 5 children that everything will be okay. To be able to fight every single day so your family can survive.
Sleeping inside a van
5 young children and a father who’s trying his best to get back on his feet but life was getting harder.
“We’re waiting on a placement through a shelter, but unfortunately here in southeast Michigan, there’s not many shelters for men with children,” Joseph said in his interview.
The fact that not many shelters prioritize homeless men is devastating even when they see that they have children who needs shelter and protection.
What happens now?
“There’s been several nights where we stayed inside this van. We pull inside a rest area sometimes to sleep,” Cantu shares. “And then there’s several nights that some people will donate money here and there so we can sleep in a motel room.”
Help for Joseph’s family
Just literally a few minutes after Fox 2 News aired his story, he started receiving messages and phone calls – all willing to help this kind man and his children.
As the video went viral, people started contacting Fox 2 and Joseph, all wanting to extend whatever help they can for this man.
Some people called and even offered their homes for him and his children and some gave donations.
Joseph even told Fox 2 that he has pending interviews for work as well.
“I felt that the outreach that we received was phenomenal, it was tremendous because people are rooting for me and my kids,”
Joseph shared, still overwhelmed with all the messages and help that was coming his way. Joseph also wanted to share something to everyone,
“After this is all said and done, I just hope that we can create a plan for other men with children, that might fall in the same situation,”
he said, hoping that more states would see that men with children deserve an equal right for shelter, help, and opportunity.
This single dad of 5 is now smiling, his eyes full of hope and faith as he shared his message to all those who extended their help.
“I want to say thank you to all the supporters, all the people who reached out,” Cantu said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart and my kids. God bless you guys.”
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