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‘God bless you guys’: Homeless father of 5 gets outpouring of support
Joseph Cantu's story touched a lot of people.
(FOX 2) - Joseph Cantu's story touched a lot of people.
"I was very shocked, it humbled myself and I literally started crying - seeing the outreach of people that are willing to help," he said.
The Pontiac father and his children were homeless after he says his wife left them and they were forced to move out of their home last month.
Unable to go to work because he has to take care of his kids, Joseph also lost his job.
"There have been some nights we have stayed inside this van," he said. "We will pull over at a rest area sometimes to sleep, and then there are several nights some people will donate some money here and there and we will sleep in a motel room."
But Joseph says literally minutes after his story aired on FOX 2 News Wednesday night, he started getting calls and messages from people who want to help.
RELATED: Homeless father of five can't find shelter that takes men with children
The FOX 2 Problem Solvers was also inundated with calls and emails from all over metro Detroit and the U.S., the story was shared thousands of times on Facebook.
FOX 2: "An auto salon in Troy wants to talk to you about job opportunities."
"Awesome," Joseph said. "I have an interview Monday morning moment out at the Pontiac airport."
There have also been donations as viewers have even offered up their homes to the Cantu family.
"I felt that the outreach that we received was phenomenal, it was tremendous because people are rooting for me and my kids," he said.
Joseph is on a waiting list for one of the few shelters in southeast Michigan that accepts men and children together.
"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.
And after our interview, Joseph took the opportunity to directly express his heartfelt appreciation.
"I want to say thank you to all the supporters, all the people who reached out," he said. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart and my kids. God bless you guys."