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A principal learned one student's family is getting evicted. Now she's working to find them a home

Posted at 10:52 PM, Nov 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-26 22:54:26-05

CAPE CORAL — A school principal is working this holiday season to find a home for some of her students.

Shelly Homan posted a plea to Facebook after she learned one of her students' families was being evicted with nowhere to go. Homan is the Principal here at Heritage Charter Academy. She was helping families in need by telling them about the turkey giveaway sponsored by Cape Coral Police, when she met Vincent Ponzo’s grandchildren.

“When I asked them about the Thanksgiving dinner that the police department was giving away, I found out that they were also going to be homeless," said Homan.

Ponzo has been looking for a new home for months, but he has bad credit, and doesn’t have enough saved for first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit.

“We’re just running out of time and options at this point, and we’re not bad people. We work hard. I’m the general manager at a restaurant, my wife works for Instacart. My daughter is trying to raise her three kids in our home," said Ponzo.

So Homan posted an SOS on Facebook, looking for a landlord willing to rent to them. It got a lot of attention.

“Shelly called me, and I was like what did you do? And she was, oh I just put a post out, and next thing you know I’m getting all this feedback from it," said Ponzo.

“My focus is that the kids are in a home for the holidays. So whatever, whatever I have to do to reach out. The worst people can say is no I can’t help," said Homan.

But Homan said people have already reached out trying to help. Ponzo said he hopes he can find a home soon, but he also said his story is just one of many this holiday season.

“This takes a lot for me to stand in front of everybody and go this is what’s going on, but if I don’t do it, maybe some other guy wishes somebody did that’s about to get kicked out of his house because he’s going through the same thing or worse," said Ponzo.

If you are interested in helping Ponzo and his family, you can call the Heritage Charter Academy at (239) 223-7530.