Homeless Mom Lives in Her Car With 2 Kids - Gathers Nerve to Ask Police Officer a Question That Changes Her Life
It’s really easy to feel all alone in life, especially when going through hardship. But sometimes the best thing we can do is allow ourselves to ask for help, like Michigan mom Erin Harrison did. Harrison worked at a McDonald’s in Walled Lake, Michigan. But her pay wasn't enough to cover rent. And she and her twin daughters ended up homeless. Sleeping in Her CarErin was doing whatever she could to save money, and so she and the girls slept in her car for a few nights. The car was parked right outside of the girls’ school, but she wasn’t sure what she was doing was even legal. So, she did the only thing she could think to do -- she asked police officer Heather Kolke. “She started asking me legal questions. So of course I started asking more questions of her and discovered she was going to be sleeping in the car tonight so she could get the kids to school in the morning. They were homeless,” said Sergeant Heather Kolke.How One Police Officer Changed a Homeless Mom’s LifeHeather, also a mom, knew she had to help. “As a mom, I knew I had to get her a place to stay,” she said. She then enlisted the help of fellow police officers, and found Erin and her daughters a temporary place to stay, as well as gift cards to help her make ends meet. That wasn’t all though: They even got her a job interview and went with her to the interview for moral support.Heather wasn’t done yet though. She also planned a birthday party for twins Hayden and Abigail, with local businesses donating balloons, cake, and pizza.The Spirit of Community Is Still AliveThe whole community ultimately got involved, raising $2,500 in cash, as well as clothes for the kids, and items for their new home once they were able to get one."It warms my heart to know that there are people out there who care. I feel like I was connected with Sgt. Kolke through God. It is a reminder there are good people in the world," shared Harrison. More from Goalcast:Police Officers Notice Homeless Mom Living With Her Kids Behind Walmart – What They Do Next Brings Her to TearsHomeless Mom Gets Arrested For Suspended License And Lack Of Insurance, Police Officer Has Best Response
Natalie Portman Didn't Let A Man Tell The Wrong StoryAnd Neither Should You
Moby released his autobiography Then It Fell Apart in which he talked about his controversial relationship with Natalie Portman when she was just 18 years old and he was 33.The problem? The relationship never happened. And Natalie made sure the world would know exactly how it went down.But this isn't the only time the Black Swan actress has a narrative directed towards her that she wants nothing to do with.Portman's highly publicized break from husband of 11 years, Benjamin Millepied, has set the rumor mill into full swing. Allegations that Millepied's affair with a much younger woman was the cause for the separation have hit every publication's headlines.While Portman has remained silent on the reason for the split, her actions speak volumes as she has been seen out in public without her wedding ring. While Portman spoke out–loudly-on Moby's account of their supposed relationship, this time she is taking the strong but silent route.Why Did Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied Separate?Portman and Millepied were together over a decade before the controversy hit. They share two children together, son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 6. To outsiders the family looked ideal. But rumors began this past June that Millepied, 46, had an affair with Camille Étienne, a 25-year-old climate activist. According to reports, Portman knew of the affair since March but continued to work on the relationship for the sake of their children. The two are notoriously private when it comes to their family and children. Portman spoke to Madame Figaro back in 2012 about what family means to her, “Nothing is more important than my personal life. It’s something which comes first, always makes sense, and compared to the happiness of a successful family life, everything else is practically superficial.”The upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder star is true to her word and has decided in this case, to remain silent on the split.While Portman was quick–and fearless–to call out Moby's comments regarding their questionable relationship from 20 years ago, this time she has chosen to keep her personal life personal.What Did Moby Say About Natalie Portman? According to Moby, the two met backstage at his concert in Austin, Texas, when he was 33 and she was 20. He mentions that they dated briefly before Natalie ended the relationship when she met someone else.“I wanted one thing: for me to be alone … nothing triggered my panic attacks more than getting close to a woman I cared about," Moby confessed in his book. And according to him, "he had tried to be Natalie’s boyfriend, but it hadn’t worked out" as he wasn't ready to love a woman.Except, according to Natalie Portman, a big part of what Moby details is not as accurate...especially the fact that they even dated at all. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the actress said she and Moby never dated.“I was a fan and went to one of his shows when I had just graduated,” Natalie said. "When we met after the show, he said, ‘let’s be friends’. He was on tour and I was working, shooting a film, so we only hung out a handful of times before I realized that this was an older man who was interested in me in a way that felt inappropriate."I was surprised to hear that he characterized the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me.Natalie Portman to Harper's BazaarShe also said there was a big factual error in the book, saying that she was not 20 when they met, as he claimed in the book, but had just turned 18.He said I was 20; I definitely wasn’t. I was a teenager. I had just turned 18. There was no fact checking from him or his publisher – it almost feels deliberate.Natalie Portman to Harper's BazaarNot only did Moby falsely depict their relationship as romantic, he also tampered with the facts in his book. Writing such an account without even double checking with her was baffling to Natalie, especially since he made that whole story the selling point."That he used this story to sell his book was very disturbing to me. It wasn’t the case. There are many factual errors and inventions. I would have liked him or his publisher to reach out to fact check.”Natalie got her apology, but with difficultyMoby ultimately responded on Instagram, and rather than apologize, actually doubled down with a defense. In the caption, he mentions that Natalie's version "confused me, as we did, in fact, date." "And after briefly dating in 1999 we remained friends for years. I like Natalie, and I respect her intelligence and activism," Moby continued. "But, to be honest, I can’t figure out why she would actively misrepresent the truth about our (albeit brief) involvement."Except a few days later, after receiving backlash for his defense, Moby ultimately issued an apology on Instagram, saying that “many of the criticisms leveled at me regarding my inclusion of Natalie in Then It Fell Apart are very valid."He admitted he shouldn’t have included her at all without getting her permission. He also said “given the dynamic of our almost 14-year age difference I absolutely should’ve acted more responsibly and respectfully when Natalie and I first met almost 20 years ago.”What Natalie's experience means for the rest of usMoby's apology represents a step in the right direction when it comes to men holding themselves accountable for their mistakes. However, the situation highlights important underlying issues in women's experiences with men.Moby using a story he largely imagined to be true (whether or not they dated, we will never be able to tell as the two have differing accounts--and Moby has not taken back his claim) to sell books is a form of exploitation of a woman for his personal cool factor. A small victory for women and their voicesIn the wake of the Time's Up movement, of which Natalie was a strong advocate, the need for women's voices to be heard has become more important than ever. [Time's Up|] gave women the ability to say, ‘We’re essentially being silenced and shamed and now we’re coming forward.'Natalie PortmanNot letting your story be controlled by other's voices is important, but that doesn't mean that everyone deserves to know the intimate details of your life–such as when it comes to your family. But by refusing to let Moby have his way, Natalie is setting an example for all women whose stories have been controlled by men. Speaking your truth is always worth it, even when the voices around can appear to be louder. More inspiring celebrities:After Surviving Abuse Twice, Rihanna Is Ready To Have Kids With Or Without A ManCharlize Theron Fought Through Trauma To Build Her Fulfilling LifeAt 50, Jennifer Lopez Proves That Women Can Age and Continue to ThriveOctavia Spencer: Her Journey From Overlooked Typecast Actress to Boss Lead
Firefighter Delivers Baby Then Learns Her Mom Cant Keep Her - So He Adopts Her and Gives Her a Home
Firefighters save lives every day -- it’s their job. But then they move on to the next job and rarely know what ends up happening to the people they rescue. Except in this case, where the firefighter rescued a baby and then decided to adopt her. Marc Hadden is a member of the fire department in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and on November 14, 2011, he had an unusual day at the office -- rather than fighting a fire, he ended up delivering a baby for the very first time.An Unusual 911 CallPhoto by RDNE Stock projectThe baby's birth mother had called 911 complaining of abdominal pain, and Hadden ended up at the scene.“She struggled from the minute she was put in my hands,” said Marc in an interview with PEOPLE. Marc had to give the baby emergency oxygen just seconds after she was born to help her breathe on her own. “It was amazing to hear her cry.”Marc HaddenBut soon after, at the hospital, the birth mother said she couldn’t care for her daughter -- and Marc immediately wanted to be the one to step up to take care of her.Welcoming Rebecca Grace Into the FamilyJust two days later, that baby ended up coming home with him and his wife. They named her Rebecca Grace.Marc and his wife Beth already had two sons and really wanted a third child, but had experienced some complications while trying to conceive. They were already on the road to adoption when they met baby Rebecca.Beth said she knew it was meant to be as soon as Marc called her with the news of his day at work. “I delivered a baby.”“Can we keep her?” she had replied. Beth had been half-kidding, but then Marc gave her the news. “I think she might be going up for adoption.”Sometimes the Best Things Happen in the Blink of an EyePhoto by Laura GarciaBeth visited the birth mom at the hospital the very next day.“My heart just went out to this woman,” said Beth. “I brought her a little prayer book and asked if I could get anything for her.”While the women were talking, a doctor came into the room and said they were ready to proceed with adoption, and then the birth mom turned to Beth, "I can’t give my baby to someone I’ve never met."That was the moment of opportunity. “I want you to adopt my baby,” the woman said, looking at Beth, and then the nurse brought the baby in and Beth got to hold her for the first time.“She is what we prayed for,” says Beth. “It felt like winning the lottery.”Now Gracie is a member of the family, and Beth and Marc have been honest with her about how she came into their lives. "I’ve taken her to the back of the ambulance where she was born, so she knows!” says Marc.Beth and Marc remain grateful and in awe. "Sometimes the best things in life happen in the blink of an eye — and you can’t let them pass you by,” said Beth.More from Goalcast:Waitress Hands Exhausted Firefighters a Note After Paying for Their Meal – Little Did She Know What Was Going to HappenWoman Leaves Her Newborn Baby Girl in a Drop Box – The Firefighter Who Found Her Just Became Her DadFirefighter Meets the Son of a Man He Rescued From a Fire 23 Years Ago in an Emotional Reunion
Woman Finds Out Her Lover Is 53 Years Old Pretending to Be a Young Model - Then, She Finds Love With the Real Man in the Photos
We’ve all experienced the post-breakup rough spot where all feels pretty hopeless. It can be easy to give up on love and putting yourself out there again can seem like an impossible task.Back in 2015, Emma Perrier was dealing with a broken heart of her own, and like many of us in the throes of going through a breakup, she spent a few months hiding out at home and watching a lot of depressing and sappy movies.But then, she had had enough of wallowing. She decided to take a chance and get back out there, never expecting that she would be in for a wild ride.Emma Braved the World of Online Dating for the First TimePexels/ cottonbro studioBy now, most of us are aware of the difficulties of online dating. The world of Internet dating apps is broad, and not without danger at times. Emma was already suspicious of online dating apps. Rather than go for the notorious Tinder app, she settled on downloading the dating app Zoosk. The second “o” in the Zoosk logo looks like a diamond engagement ring, which is signaled that the app's demographic seemed interested more serious relationships than the casual hookups.Emma got started by taking the collection of selfies necessary when registering her profile to “verify her identity.” Meeting men was not easy for Emma, who worked long hours as a restaurant manager for a coffee shop. She was not a regular dweller at pubs and nightclubs either, which complicated things in her quest for love.She could do this. had just gone through a bad breakup. She was ready for what was next and so began her journey in the world of dating apps."I’m a romantic,” Emma told The Atlantic, two years later. “I love to love,” she said, in a thick French accent. “And I want to be loved too.”At First, It Seemed PromisingEmma was a pretty woman, and she got responses as soon as her profile was posted. And then, a private message from a dark-haired Italian man named Ronaldo “Ronnie” Scicluna, who reminded her of a high school crush. The message was blurred by the app, so she was not able to read it until she paid the fee.After discussing it with her sister, she finally paid the £25 ($34) subscription to Zoosk so she could open the message.Ronnie’s message simply said: “You look beautiful.”According to his profile, Ronnie was a 34-year-old electrician in England’s West Midlands, just 100 miles away from her own location. At First, She Didn’t Notice the Red FlagsWhat followed was a quick connection. Ronnie and Emma both worked blue collar jobs and were too lonely Europeans looking for a soulmate. In an effort to impress her, he sent her a few words in French, her native language. However, when Emma returned the favor by sending him a message in Italian, Ronnie did not understand it, which surprised her.In retrospect, that was a red flag.Ronnie and Emma moved their correspondence from Zoosk to WhatsApp, a free messaging app, where they would text daily as Emma commuted to work. She wondered how a handsome man like Ronnie could be so into her.I’m very natural. I mean, I’m nothing. I’m very simple you know ... so I was flattered.Emma Perrier in The Atlantic“You could easily have picked someone else,” Ronnie told her one day.“No.You’re the only one I wanted to talk to ... I paid because of you,” shereplied.“Assoon as I saw your picture I wanted you,” he wrote.“Makesme happy to know that,” Emma replied.The Only Problem Was, Ronnie Didn’t ExistRonaldo Scicluna was a fictional character created by AlanStanley, a short, balding, 53-year-old shop fitter.He created the persona as a way of protecting himself from rejection.“I was in a pretty lonely place,” he told The Atlantic. “I wasn’t feeling the most attractive of people, I might say. You know, I always struggled with self-confidence and ... I was going through a messy separation and I was just feeling like I needed somebody to talk to.”He used an image of a male model he found on Google to create hisfalse persona. “I’m always nervous about posting personal images of myself,” heexplained. “I just don’t like pictures of me. It goes back a long way, to behonest.” Emma’s profile was the first he saw. He was as captivated by her as she was by the fake version of him.Emma Was Being CatfishedPhoto by Andrea PiacquadioHis flirting with Emma soon progressed to late-night telephone calls. In October of 2015, she wrote how happy she had become since “meeting” him.“Areyou not usually happy, stinky?” he asked.“Iam,” she said, “but you changed something.”They both agreed to delete the dating app and Emma tried to push for an in-person date. But he kept on putting her off by using excuses.“It’shard to keep everyone happy,” Ronnie complained. “Dad loves me working andwants me to keep doing better. Mum wants me to quit. She worries about me. Myhealth. Stress. Dad thinks I handle it well.”“Ithink what you need is a [girlfriend] to look after you,” said Emma."Do you want to know why I started online dating?” she asked him one night. “Because I wanted to ... meet that someone and to start something with that someone ... not to have a broken heart ... which is even more painful when you have never met someone.”“Metoo,” said Ronnie. “We both want the same thing.”“Giveme a date then,” Emma wrote. “I will suit your availability.”Shewaited for his reply.“Idon’t think you realize how difficult it is for me to get time off,” he wrote.“Justa dinner to start with,” Emma begged. “I can do the travel ... then if theconnection is really there we will find a way.”“Doyou think it will be there?” he asked.“Ihave never been so sure.”“Doyou have faith in us?” he asked.“Itcould work perfectly well,” Emma wrote.“AndI love you,” he wrote.“AndI love you too,” she replied.Emma’scoworkers and friends kept asking why they never met her boyfriend, and Emmawas beginning to wonder what was going on too. Alan’s excuses were runningthin.Her Friends Made Her RealizePhoto by RDNE Stock projectOne night, Emma was at work, closing the restaurant with a Spanishwaiter named Abraham. Emma shared how she badly wanted to meet her mysteriousboyfriend. Abraham responded: “But Emma, the guy doesn’t want to meet you ...maybe it’s not even him.”Emmasaid they’d talked on the phone.Abrahamsaid her boyfriend was “probably an old man.”Then he said he’d heard about an app that could help.“He could be a psycho,” he addedSoon,Emma’s family recommended she stop talking to Ronnie. He had refused to meether after six months, they said. “I didn’t want to listen to them,” Emma said. Butone evening after work, she downloaded an app called Reverse Image Search as away of finding the original source of a profile photo.“Believeme I was scared to use it for the first time,” Emma said. She uploaded thephotograph of Ronnie wearing his leather jacket. Within seconds, she learnedthe man in the photo was a a model and actor from Turkey, called Adem Guzel. “Doyou have anything to tell me about Adem Guzel?” she wrote in a text message.“It is me,” Alan replied, thinking fast. Those were his modeling pictures, he said. He’d once used another name. “It was a long time ago,” he promised.Alan was still lying. “I would have lost someone that I really treasured,” he said.. But Emma said he needed to reveal himself through a FaceTime call. He categorically refused, saying FaceTiming was for kids.But Emma Had Problems Giving Up the FantasyPhoto by Austin Guevara“I couldn’t believe it because, you know ... when you talk to someone every day, and you share your life ... he was my confidente,” Emma said.She eventually discovered Alan’s true identity when he accidentally sent an email using his real name. She started to investigate. “Iknew,” Emma said. She typed Alan’s email address into Google.Right then, she found everything she needed to know. “Everything, everything,” she sighed. “His Twitter accounts. Where I’ve seen his face.”It was devastating and I felt sick. You have no idea how much I’ve been hurt inside.Emma PerrierShe then called Alan. “Is your real name Alan?” Emma asked.Alanfinally came clean. “I could not be any more apologetic,” he said. “I told hereverything.” Itwas, Alan said, a “big error of judgment, the worst and biggest mistake of mylife.” But even in his telling of “the truth,” Alan told Emma he was 50,shaving off a few years.Alan finally sent her a real photograph of himself, wrinkles and all. “It might sound cruel what I’m going to say,” Emma told me, “but I carried on talking with him, after I knew who he was, only because I wanted to know why he did that to me,” Emma said. “I’m 34 at the time, but maybe another girl, when she finds out, she could maybe go too far, maybe kill herself.” After the big reveal, Emma asked Alan if he wanted to meet her. “I really wanted to go, to end the story,” she said. But was Alan dangerous?To Protect Others, She Reached Out to the Turkish ModelPhoto by Anna ShvetsEmma decided that she needed to protect others from this happening to them, and so, she sent a Facebook message to the Turkish model Alan had been impersonating:"Hello Adem, we don’t know each other but a year ago I met a guy online and that man is using your picture and pretends he is you under another name. I wasn’t sure if getting in touch with you was a good idea but I needed you to know, kind regards, Emma.”Adem, who was 35 at the time, almost ignored it as he received a lot of messages on the daily. But something told him to reply. After reading Emma’s message, he wrote back. “And the conversation just started,” Adem said. He was furious when he heard how Alan had treated Emma. So he had a video call. “It was crazy,” she said. “I wasn’t sure it was him, I was always in doubt.” And he was nervous too! I never do FaceTiming. But somehow I wanted to do it with her.Adem Guzel in The Atlantic“You are so real,” Emma said, crying. “You really exist!”Emma and Alan ultimately met for some closure and had a good talk. “We talk, talk, talk,” Emma said. She asked him about drinking whiskey with his father. He said his dad had passed away a few years ago.Her Prince Charming Turned Out to Be Real After AllBut in the meantime, Emma's connection with the Turkish model Adem was developing into something more.She invited Adem to London. She wasn’t going to waste time onanother long distance guy! “It wasn’t to flirt, believe me,” Emma insisted.Adem said yes immediately. OnMarch 31, 2017, Emma sent her catfish a goodbye text message:"Alan I wanted to tell you that tomorrow I’m going to pick up Adem at the airport. And I still don’t know if it’s good or bad but I’m going to meet ‘my Ronnie.’ You built up all this shit, I’m not sure if I should thank you or detest you for that. But this is happening."She then picked up Adem at the airport the next day. “I was really nervous,” Adem said. Right there and then, Emma decided to kiss him.“Three minutes later I felt like I know her a long time,” Adem said. The chemistry was undeniable. She gave him a key to her apartment, and together they went sight-seeing around London. Later, when Adem opened his suitcase, Emma saw the the leather jacket from her favorite photograph!Soon, their fairytale-like story was everywhere.“Mycatfish became cupid,” Emma told the DailyMirror, “And now we’re living happily ever after.” Today, the couple lives together in London. “He’s lovely,” Emma said, “He’s a lovely man.” While Emma could have given up on love, she decided to keep an open mind, even after the traumatic events Alan put her through.More from Goalcast:Men Warn They Would Break Up With Plus Size Woman if She Didn’t Lose Weight – But One Personal Trainer Gets Down on One Knee
