Community steps up to help families, students in need of shelter
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BARTOW COUNTY, Ga (WGCL) — An extended stay motel was hit with multiple violations during a routine health department inspection; leaving families in need of shelter with less than 24 hours to prepare.
Some of those families had school-age children in tow as they gathered their belongings.
“I’m beyond stressed, because right now my husband is at work and usually my kids are in daycare. I’m at work but with all this going on, I had to miss work so I could be with them, and get this taken care of, making sure they weren’t putting our stuff out on the street,” said Lauren Taylor to CBS46’s reporter Melissa Stern on October 16. Taylor and her family had been living at the Budgetel Inn since July.
The following day, Bartow County Schools took to its’ Facebook page to share that county students and their families, who lived at the motel, had been provided lodging.
“As of this afternoon [October 17], transportation arrangements are complete, so out children now living temporarily in other parts of Cartersville-Bartow County can get to their current school,” read the Facebook post.
Kelly Whitmire, a homeless liaison for the school district, added, “This community showed up in a big way for me and for these families. We housed over 200 people for a week. We had moving trucks. We had car seats. We had transportation by bus for families. We had packing and moving supplies. We had food and water. All of this with less than 24 hours notice. Miracles do happen because I witnessed one yesterday,” said Whitmire.
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