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DETROIT (WJBK) - Imagine having no place to stay, no place to get warm in the frigid winter weather.
That was the reality for a Detroit mother and five children who were evicted and left homeless. On Wednesday, they got the best surprise ever, thanks to the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
Today they got a home of their own.
It may have been cold outside, but there was a lot of warmth to be found inside a Detroit home - which was a wonderful surprise for Tracey Dunbar and her children.
They were desperate, evicted with no place to go.
Detroit City Council President, Brenda Jones knew just who to call - the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
"We wanted to make sure they have a safe place to go," said Dr. Chad Audi, president of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. "They have heat, especially with this cold weather, and they have food.
Tracey Dunbar is a working mom and cares for her family, including her young daughter who has a neurological disorder. She is an example of the working homeless - people with jobs, who don't make enough to be able to afford a home.
"She never gave up," Audi said. "She has been working all the time, so she is not a person who can just beg for help or anything. We think she (has a) well deserving family and we're happy we were able to give her a hand today.
Tracey and her kids got a tour of the new home, which had beds for the kids, a comfy living room and stocked pantry. She says she is very happy and very grateful.
"No longer do I have to worry," she said. "My kids have beds to sleep in, they have food in the refrigerator, a washer and dryer in the basement, a yard to play in of their own. A home of their own.
Dunbar and her family will be able to live in the home rent free for two years. The rescue mission will check in on them to make sure they're okay, until they get back on their feet.
It is a story with a warm, happy ending.
"The rescue mission stepped up to the plate, to do what was needed," Jones said. "To help a family."
The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry wants to help more families and are working on a plan with the city hoping to rehab vacant homes and give them to working homeless families in Detroit.