Police officer learns about single mom pulled over with her kids — he makes a life-changing decision after hearing the truth
People often find themselves in a helpless state where they know what is right but cannot practice it in their lives due to unexpected circumstances. It takes wisdom and humanity to figure out how to attain a solution that makes a difference in such cases. A single mom named Ebony Rhodes learned this in 2018 when she got arrested for having an expired tag on her car, as per CNN. The mom of four kids had her car impounded and made her way to the Atlanta Police Department. However, when Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier learned of the single mother’s story, he knew he had to do more than make her abide by the law. He chose a response that made a difference in the lives of Rhodes and her kids.
The mom recalled being pulled over with her kids in the car on their way to the library. Initially, it seemed like a case of a woman neglecting law and order, but the deputy officer soon learned the truth. Rhodes was struggling to make ends meet and was working simple jobs to provide for her kids. Things were so upsetting that the family didn’t have a home. They’d been living in a 1997 Buick Regal for the last few months and getting by. The mom knew that it wasn’t a safe option to have her kids sleeping in a car, but she couldn’t find any place that would take them together. “A lot of times, I didn’t sleep because the kids were asleep. I was watching to make sure nothing happened,” the mom recounted.
According to USA Facts, around 771,480 experienced homelessness in 2024. The year saw an 18% increase in homelessness compared to 2023. Rhodes refused to let her family split apart, and the impounding of the car meant more than just a vehicle gone. The deputy empathized with her and, together with his wife, Michelle, decided to help. “We have to do something,” he said. The officer recounted having met a director of a family homeless shelter in a precinct earlier. He spoke to her and informed her about Rhodes and her kids. To his surprise, the shelter had just enough space for the entire family.
“If you know anything about shelters in the middle of the winter, there’s usually nothing available. I couldn’t believe it,” Glazier remarked. The deputy informed the mom of the news she’d been waiting to hear. “When he called me that day, I started crying because I’d been trying to get into shelters for a long time,” she said. However, that was not all. Glazier was aware of how Rhodes was, that she had ethics, was hardworking and wanted to keep trying for her kids. “When I first met her, she had two jobs. She’s trying to do the right thing,” he noted. Over a year after her arrest, Rhodes had a decent job as an assistant manager at a fast food store.
She was able to afford a home and calls the experience a “blessing.” A GoFundMe had also been set up to help the mom throughout. “We want to pay for rent, we want to pay for food and transportation … this is obviously long-term. It’s not going to end just because we give her a little bit of money. It’s about getting through the hard times, having someone to talk to and someone to lean on, to get advice from,” the deputy said. Rhodes credited that unfortunate arrest, which changed her life. “Had I not gotten pulled over that day, I’d probably still be in my car, just taking a risk every day. Losing that car and getting pulled over that day changed my life,” she said.