Formerly homeless Sedgwick County jail deputy rode his bike to work. Then this happened.
Sedgwick County jail deputy Caleb Harris no longer needs to ride his bicycle to work.
Harris, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and recent transplant from California, began working at the jail earlier this year after being homeless with his wife.
Their luck seemed to be turning. Then the car they used to live in broke down.
It was the same vehicle their first child was born in. So Harris started riding his bike to and from work, a 22 mile round trip.
Officers found out about the hardship of their colleague and decided to raise money to help his family, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said Friday in a Facebook post.
“He never once asked for help and did whatever it took to help his family,” the Facebook post said. “When members of the Sheriff’s Office learned he was riding his bike to work, a grassroots fundraiser was started with the hopes of collecting enough money to repair the vehicle.”
But the outpouring grew bigger than they anticipated. Officer donations and help from different organizations helped them provide Harris with a car, instead of just repairing his old one.
“Initially we were raising money to repair the vehicle he had, but it was beyond repair,” Lt. Benjamin Blick said in an email. “Word got around and Mike Stevens Motors donated a used trade in that was in need a few repairs (oil change, AC work). G&L Garage donated labor costs for the repairs and Mel (Hambelton) donated a set of new tires. The money raised helped with the cost of the parts for the needed repairs.”
Pictures in the Facebook post show Harris getting the red car. He also received items for their baby.
“Deputy Harris and his family have received these donations and continue to work hard to make a better life,” the sheriff’s office said. “We are happy to report this young family has a second child and plan to make Wichita and the Sedgwick County sheriff’s office their home.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2021 at 6:00 PM.