PERFORMANCES HAPPENED TO HIGH SCHOOLER IS GIVING US HIS EXPERIENCE IN NEW YORK CITY.
VICTOR LAST FALL, WE DID A
SERIES OF REPORTS ON CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM IN DETROIT PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, AND WE HIGHLIGHTED A
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER WHERE DPS
CD FAMILIES CAN RECEIVE THINGS
LIKE SCHOOL SUPPLIES, COATS,
WATER AND OTHER THINGS FOR FREE
. WELL, IT WAS THERE THAT WE MET
GENETIC BURNETT, HER DAUGHTER
HAD PASSED AWAY AND SHE
IMMEDIATELY TOOK OVER THE CARE
AND CUSTODY OF HER DAUGHTER’S
FIVE CHILDREN. HER STORY TOUCHED
A LOT OF YOU. WE HAVE AN UPDATE
, AND IT’S A REALLY GOOD ONE.
KIMBERLY GILL IS HERE WITH US
NOW WITH THAT PART OF THE STORY.
YEAH, GUYS. HEY, GOOD EVENING.
WE’RE TIRED AND ON A FIXED
INCOME THIS GENETIC, BURNETT WAS
DEPENDENT ON THAT RESOURCE
CENTER BECAUSE WITHOUT IT, SHE
DIDN’T KNOW HOW SHE WOULD MAKE
ENDS MEET AND TAKE CARE. OF HER
FIVE GRANDCHILDREN AFTER HER
DAUGHTER’S PASSING WHEN LOCAL 4
VIEWERS HEARD HER STORY. THE
PHONES AND THE EMAILS STARTED
POURING IN FROM METRO
DETROITERS, WHO WANTED TO HELP,
INCLUDING THIS COUPLE. MEET JIM
AND CINDY PEARSON. THE RETIRED
COUPLE FROM ANN ARBOR, EXPLAINS
WHAT THEY SAW ON LOCAL 4 ONE DAY
LAST FALL HOME WATCHING MY
FAVORITE LOCAL NEWSCAST AND THIS
JUST CAME UP AND I WAS PARTIALLY
READING A BOOK, BUT SOMETHING
CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ABOUT A
GRANDMOTHER WITH FIVE
GRANDCHILDREN. GRANDMOTHER WAS
JOHNETTA BURNETT WITH HER TWO
YEAR OLD GRANDSON, COREY, JUST
AS CONTENT AS HE COULD BE.
GENERIC TOLD LOCAL 4 THE STORY
ABOUT A RESOURCE CENTER FOR DPS
CD FAMILIES AND HOW THAT CENTER
HELPED HER WITH THE NEEDS OF HER
FIVE GRANDCHILDREN, WHOM SHE’D
RECENTLY GAINED CUSTODY OF
FOLLOWING HER DAUGHTER’S
UNTIMELY DEATH. IT’S BEEN A
STRUGGLE. REAL STRUCTURE, BUT
WHEN YOU ASK SUPPORT. THAT’S A
BIG HELP. IT IS SORRY. I’M SORRY
. JONETTA WAS SIMPLY HOPING BY
TELLING HER STORY. SHE WOULD
HELP ANOTHER FAMILY WHO COULD
BENEFIT FROM THIS RESOURCE
CENTER. LITTLE DOES SHE KNOW SO
MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO HELP HER,
INCLUDING JIM AND CINDY PEARSON
, WHO TODAY PAID OFF ALL GENETIC
BURNETT’S CREDIT CARD DEBT. SHE
WAS PAYING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A
MONTH. AND THESE INTEREST. AND
THAT CAN’T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, NO
MORE SO THAT’S TAKEN CARE OF. I
WASN’T LOOKING FOR NOT LIKE THIS
. YOU KNOW THAT SPEAKS TO HOW
HUMBLE YOU ARE. SHE CAME ON TV
NOT TO ASK FOR HERSELF WITH ALL
OF HER NEEDS. SHE CAME TO PRAISE
THE RESOURCE CENTER HERE AND
WHAT THEY PROVIDE SO BUT WE TOOK
IT ONE STEP FURTHER, RIGHT? YES
HARD. IT WAS FOR ME TO GET
INFORMATION OUT OF HER ABOUT
WHAT SHE NEEDED HER. I SAID,
WELL, WHAT DO YOU NEED YOU NEED
FOR MY KIDS. SHOOTING IN THE
COACH DOESN’T HAVE A COAT TOOK
ME THREE TIMES. THEY FINALLY GET
OUT THAT SHE NEEDED A COAT. A
LARGER HOUSE IS THE NEXT STEP.
YEAH SHE NEEDS SPACE. AH IF
ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY HOMES THAT
ARE AVAILABLE IF SHE NEEDS A
POLICE THAT’S THREE BEDROOM. TWO
BAD. PROBABLY AFFORD BEDROOM.
TOO BAD, YOU KNOW? SAFE
NEIGHBORHOOD. WHERE IS SHE
STAYING? NOW THERE’S A LOT OF
ACTION ACROSS THE STREET, IF YOU
KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY ACTION, AND
, UH, NOT A PLACE FOR HER TO
RAISE HER GRANDCHILDREN. YEAH
AND THE GRANDSON IS SO CUTE. BY
THE WAY, LITTLE CORY PEARSON’S
THINK THAT THOUGH THEY FOUND A
PLACE WHERE JEANETTE A AND HER
GRANDCHILDREN, BUT IT NEEDS A
LOT OF WORK, AND IT IS NOT AN
IMMEDIATE SOLUTION. IF YOU WANT
TO HELP JEANETTA, WE’VE PUT
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR DPS CD
ON OUR WEBSITE. JUST GO TO CLICK
ON DETROIT DOT COM. I MEAN, HOW
ABOUT THOSE PEARSON’S? THEY’RE
JUST REGULAR PEOPLE. AND YOU
KNOW, JIMMY TOLD ME HE LIVES BY
THE MOTTO AND I DON’T WANT TO
GET IT WRONG, HE SAYS. IF NOT
NOW, WHEN, IF NOT US, WHO WANTED
TO SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND
REALLY HELP A GENETIC AND YOU
COULD JUST SEE SHE’S OVERWHELMED
WITH WHAT THEY’VE DONE SO MUCH
ON HER PLATE AND YET, YOU KNOW,
JUST WANTING TO WANTING HELP FOR
HERSELF COAT COAT AND SHE DIDN’T
WANT TO SAY I DON’T HAVE A COAT.
JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN HELP MY
GRANDCHILDREN. I’LL BE OKAY.