Skyline HS teachers help homeless students find new home

A Dallas family is thankful to be in a stable home after an apartment fire turned their lives upside down.

After hearing about what happened, some alert teachers at Skyline High School stepped up to help.

A sister and brother have everything to smile about despite the fact that their lives had been in great turmoil until just over a week ago.

Abbas and Sarah Al-Forejy did not have a place to call home after a fire at their apartment forced their family out onto the street. They slept at friends’ homes and in motel rooms. Their mom Jennifer Hysell at times spent nights in their car.

"We've been through stuff together. I'm not going to say good or bad things,” Sarah said. “We've been through stuff, and it’s made my mom a hero."

Hussain, their older brother, lives with special needs. All of them are now excited about their new rented home, thanks in part to alert staff at Skyline High School.

"There’s a reasoning behind everything,” Hysell said. “But hopefully Christmas comes around. Even if we have just the basics, we'll have fun and laugh and say, ‘Hey, we're finally home.’ Things are coming along slowly but surely."

Donations and help for the family began when Sarah revealed their situation to a teacher. Word then traveled to teacher Rhonda Howard, who connects students with outside resources.

"One person would lead me to somewhere else. Yeah, it became a domino effect,” Howard recalled. “Then, I sent out an appeal to the staff, and they overwhelmingly responded."

"It’s one of the biggest issues we have with identifying homeless kids on a personal level because they don't avail themselves, necessarily, or let themselves be known that we have an issue,” explained Keith Price with Focus on Teens.

With still a ways to go, the focus is now on the bigger picture.

"Having my kids happy and safe, that's the main thing,” Hysell said.