When law enforcement responds to non-emergency incidents, sometimes extra help beyond the officer's control is needed. That’s where the Harker Heights Healthy Homes Program comes in.
Angel Carroll is Healthy Homes Coordinator and Crime Victims’ Advocate with the Harker Heights Police Department.
"Our main purpose is to intervene inside his functional homes to prevent further dysfunction from taking place," said Harker Heights police.
Carroll works alongside Destinee Barton, the youth services specialist and crime victims’ advocate with Harker Heights police, to connect community members in need with vital services to ensure a healthy home.
"I just want to be a vessel," said Barton. "I just want to make sure that we’re advocating for those clients in our community to make sure there’s no dysfunction in the home and that everyone can be their best self."
The two assist with calls that go beyond the badge and help with everything from victims of crime and homeless individuals to at-risk youth and our elderly.
Margarite Davis was one of their clients who they helped come out of homelessness.
"We were living out of my van," said Davis. "My family even turned their back so to get help from basically complete strangers it’s just like wow."
Davis and her three children were living in a car stationed at a local park.
After an officer suspected they were living in the vehicle, they referred them to Carol and Barton. Davis and her children now have a roof over their heads.
"We’re not sitting here trying to figure out where we’re going to sleep tonight if we can’t afford a hotel, you know we’re in a stable house," said Davis.
"It’s just I got to keep going I got to keep running because I’m out there advocating for our clients and their needs," Carroll said. "If they’re not getting any help from any of the other agencies and we’re not doing it nobody’s going to help them."
The duo helps hundreds in the community turn houses into homes. For more information about the program click here.
