Hook
When a Fort Worth patrol officer met a boy looking for odd jobs, he stumbled upon a hidden crisis that would ignite a city-wide act of compassion.
Discovery in a Duplex
The officer, a neighborhood patroller, learned the boy lived in a duplex that lacked basic furniture. Seven children were sleeping on the floor, and the refrigerator held only a bottle of ranch dressing.
Officer’s Account
“This started with an officer. He’s a neighborhood police officer… He met this little boy that was looking for odd jobs to make money,” Bohlin said. “Just through a series of really caring for the little boy, he found out this family was living in a duplex that did not have a piece of furniture. There were seven children sleeping on the floor.”
Community Reality
“You would like to think that doesn’t happen in our community, but it does,” she added.
The Fridge Reality
“A bottle of ranch dressing, and there are seven children in the house,” Bohlin said.
Immediate Response
Officers, many off duty, stepped in right away. They used their own money to buy food, mattresses so the kids wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor, and to fill the refrigerator. “On Christmas Eve, a lot of these people were not even working,” Bohlin said. “They spent their own personal money, bought food, bought mattresses so the kids wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor, and filled the refrigerator.”
Reaching Out to the Bohlins
The officers then reached out to Robin Bohlin and her husband, Pastor Jonas Bohlin, of Fullness in Christ Church in Lake Country. The couple are also members of the Fort Worth Police and Clergy Coalition and founders of a neighborhood action committee.
Neighborhood Response Team
“We had to enact our neighborhood response team,” Robin Bohlin said. “It’s through Lake Country Property Owners Association. I had this idea about a year ago. I had heard of a community in California that had done the same thing. They appointed a neighborhood chaplain. And since I’m already a chaplain with the city of Fort Worth Police Department, I suggested for me to become the chaplain of this neighborhood and to start a neighborhood response team.”
Social Media Mobilization
Robin made a post on the group’s Facebook page, and within 48 hours the church became a donation hub for the family. Calls and offers of help poured in from across North Texas. “We started getting calls Christmas Day from Weatherford, from Southlake,” Pastor Jonas said.
The Outpouring
“We just thought, well, yeah, we’ll put it out there and see who wants to help,” Pastor Jonas said. “I didn’t know my phone could ring as much as it’s been ringing in the last couple of days.”
Donations Delivered
Donations included food, clothing, furniture, and household essentials. Vehicles arrived packed with items and volunteers eager to help. The children’s names, ages, and backgrounds, as well as their mother’s, have been kept private. What is clear, however, is that their home is no longer empty.
Message of Hope
“That’s God moving on a situation and saying ‘Hey I’m with you in this. I am here to help,'” Pastor Jonas said. “I want him to know that most people want to do good… And I hope it encourages him to want to be successful with his life and help other people.”
Community Call
“I want our people to pick up the mantle of taking care of each other,” Pastor Jonas said.
Key Takeaways
- A Fort Worth officer’s encounter with a boy revealed a family of seven children sleeping on the floor and a refrigerator containing only ranch dressing.
- Off-duty officers used personal funds to buy mattresses, food, and fill the fridge on Christmas Eve.
- The Bohlins launched a neighborhood response team, turning their church into a donation hub that attracted help from across North Texas.
Closing
The story illustrates how a single act of care can ripple through a community, turning a moment of crisis into a collective effort of compassion.
