Single mothers make up the majority of primary parents in homeless families — but what about the homeless single fathers?
In 2019, Joseph Cantu of Pontiac, Michigan, was forced out of his home after his wife left him and their five young children. With no one to help care for his kids, Joseph had no choice but to prioritize them over his own livelihood — which got him fired from his job as a car polisher.
Countless homeless families turn to shelters, but Joseph says it was nearly impossible to find one in southeast Michigan that would actually take in men with children. Joseph got on on a waiting list for one of the few shelters that do. In the meantime, he and his five kids had to shuffle from one temporary sleeping situation to another and spent many nights holed up in a van.
More from LittleThings: 11-Year-Old Had 'Ticking Time Bomb' In His Brain So His Parents Stepped Up To Save Him
This story first appeared on LittleThings in September 2019.
"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," he told Fox 2. "Luckily, they're small enough they probably won't remember it."
But one TV news segment changed everything — because just minutes after Fox 2 shared his story, the calls and messages began pouring in …
