In 2020, Norman Martin and his daughter Cheyenne were spending their days barbecuing north of Spokane at Bear Lake. Every evening, they would drive back into town to park overnight at the Flying J Travel Plaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate to say it, but it was some of the best times with my daughter \u2026 things were pretty awesome,\u201d Martin recalls. \u201cExcept at night. You don\u2019t want to be out there at night.\u201d<\/p>\n
With better lighting and a sense of security around them at the Flying J, Martin would lock up the truck and cover the windows so they could sleep among the semitrucks.<\/p>\n
One night, local cops spotted the family. Martin says he was grateful to run into them, despite his history of nonviolent offenses, a suspended license and outdated tabs. The officers shared their contact information and directed the family to local housing resources.<\/p>\n
Fast-forward to current day. Martin and Cheyenne have been living in their own apartment in Cheney since August 2020, thanks to the support of Family Promise of the Palouse \u2014 a local nonprofit focused on assisting families in housing crises.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing through [Family Promise] has taught me more about myself, my child, and \u2026 about homelessness and how horrific it is for families,\u201d Martin says. \u201cMost people think about homelessness, they think about these folks down here on the corner. It\u2019s not like that for families. It\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n