Unemployed Father Takes In Homeless Family For Christmas

Earlier this month, Gregory Schauer, 50, says he looked around his large, one-bedroom apartment in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and realized that he was barely using his master bedroom. Since he slept on the couch most nights anyway, he decided the best thing he could do with all of his extra space would be to invite in a homeless family for the holidays.

"I wanted to help someone else out by at least providing them a roof for shelter and a Christmas tree," he told HuffPost. "I can just barely cover all my bills, but I know there are people who are worse off than I am right now."

Schauer, who has been collecting unemployment checks since he was laid off from his engineering job in late July, posted an ad on Craigslist offering up his empty bedroom to a needy family. He would take care of rent and utilities, he promised, as long as they could afford to feed themselves. A homeless woman with three young children responded to the ad.

"I took in a mother and her three kids who were living at a shelter," he said. "It's a very nice, cozy apartment where they don't have to worry about bills or going from shelter to shelter. At least I can give them that."

Schauer said his new tenant works at Anthony Wayne Services Foundation, an organization that helps disabled people be more independent, and is on food stamps to supplement her modest income and feed her children. All Schauer does, he says, is keep a roof over their heads.

"I try to give them their space," he said.

Meanwhile, Schauer has five children of his own, all of whom live with their mother. He has been scouring Craigslist for extra work this holiday season to be able to afford presents for them.

"I am unemployed but I want to be able to give my kids a Christmas," he wrote in a Craigslist ad. "I'm very educated and also very handy. Will do just about anything for Christmas money so I can get my kids some presents to open on Christmas morning."

Schauer said he has received no replies to this ad so far, and since he has been paying 50 percent of his unemployment checks to child support, the prospects of buying presents for his kids this year look grim. But despite a disappointing job search, he said he still feels "blessed" to be able to provide Christmas shelter to one other family.

"If it inspires anyone else to open their doors or their hearts to help anyone out, it was all worth it," he said.

CORRECTION: This story originally reported that Schauer has five children. He has nine, with five under 18.

Comments

[LadyQ85]

07:39 PM on 01/02/2011

I am also one of the nine children of Greg Schauer. My dad may not be a perfect person, but no one is. He is a good man. He is trying to be a good father. I am sickened by the horrible things people have said. They need to get over the past and move on. Whats done is done. He is trying to do good things and make it right, he is doing a good job. My dad loves God, he is trying to follow what the Lord is telling him. If people have a problem with that then they have to answer to God. If you look for bad things you will find them! In everyone! If you look for good things you will find those too. Certain people need to stop being so vindictive, forgive and move on.

[One of the Nine 1-9]

12:06 AM on 12/31/2010

I am his eldest daughter one of the 4 not mentioned in this article. I am 28 years old and my father has already ruined me once financiall­y. I find it disgusting that all of you people on here will take something written with gross negligence as being matter of fact. He is a con man, a liar, and a deadbeat dad. If he wants to do charity, he should first take care of the children he brought into this world and be a real man. He is not a hero, he is not a compassion­ate human being. If he were, he would have the respect of his family, all of his family, especially his kids. He does not. We kids are supposed to grow up in a loving, nurturing environmen­t, we are supposed to love our parents unconditio­nally. This man has committed so many wrongs and has been given so many chances, that it is impossible for us to even stomach the things that have been written about him in this article. I was 22 when I left home to start my own life, the only thing my father ever did for me was use my credit cards, max them out, refuse to pay, and lead me to a path of bankruptcy­. I am now 28 years old, finishing my Masters. I am not stupid or naive to the damage he is committing to my younger siblings, the youngest being only 7. Please reconsider everything you have written.

[Michael770]

11:03 PM on 12/30/2010

Talk is cheap.

Taking in this Woman and her children, is right up there with him supporting a stripper and her baby (secretively) while on Unemployment and his family is suffering. See a pattern?

[Michael770]

11:02 PM on 12/30/2010

So If it seems like it’s too good to be true chances are it is. This man is a scam.. I really wish the reporter would have done some work on this story before publishing it. This gives good people who do, do good things for people a bad rap..

See Mr. Schauer let his family go without a working furnace for part of last winter.. He made over $50,000 in side projects while he sat on Unemployment and did not work and his wife took a job to help try and make ends meet while he was supposed to be looking for work.. come to find out he did have money as he likely does now and was spending it on himself be it smoking or prostitutes or call girls or having to go to bob evens for coffee 4 times a day..

I see comments about PayPal accounts and stuff to send him $$, I don’t know if he can have one after he opened one in his Sons name and used it fraudulently. He was facing identity theft charges for getting utilities set up using other peoples credentials when he was working out of state.

So yea not the award type of person I would think. Unless you want to give an award to a controlling manipulative abusive lying con man, that’s the Gregory Schauer I know.

[Michael770]

11:07 PM on 12/30/2010

part 1 is >Well I can’t just sit by and let the truth not be told about this man Gregory Schauer, who I have known for most of my life. See he married my sister many years ago and had 9 “nine” children.

He has never been a man of integrity or Honor, Respectful, Forgiveness, Kind, or Honest.

Mr Schauer is a con man and a Ego maniac. He puts himself before all else, uses religion for his own gains, he is a Christian by what he speaks not by what he does.

Mr. Schauer, cannot maintain a job due his lack of a good work ethic and he gets caught doing side work while on company time, or misusing company email for personal use, he has been black listed by Companies for the bridges he has burned. He cannot handle any sort of criticism about himself or his work. He is a very fragile man in that regard. He is ok using the system to get by and yes he is on Unemployment and 50% or so is being withheld by the state for his child support which is almost 6,000 in the rears. If the state did not intervene on the children’s behalf he would not voluntarily provide it, he hasn’t in the past.

[natalevie]

08:40 AM on 12/30/2010

I hope this story is one hundred percent true. I need my faith in mankind restored, the sooner the better ! Perhaps its the cynic in me, but something about this story doesn't ring true. I really hope I am wrong on this one.

[pgavin]

12:36 PM on 12/29/2010

What Greg did was a very good thing. I myself took in a single mom with a daughter and granddaughter who lost their home. The mom was unemployed and was daily looking for a job. I'm retired and needed a part-time job myself to try and make ends meet. We trained together at a restaurant; however, neither one of us were given enough hours to make it worth it. I quit while she stuck in there; however, it was not enough to pay her back rent and keep current. She did not even have a frig for food. I know that God crossed our paths for a reason. My husband and I moved her family in my home. Her family has been with us for almost 3 months. Is is hard? Yes. I'm struggling myself. My car was repoed, can't pay accounts I am responsible for. My electric bill has tripled, my food cost has tripled. Is is worth it? Yes. I know in my heart that was what God wanted me to do. The kids had a good Christmas, warm home, hot food and presents under a tree. I do not receive any government assistance. Could I use it? Yes. Have I tried to received assistance? No. You reap what you sow and good seeds have been sown.

[lainey]

11:43 PM on 12/26/2010

Greg is a true American hero. Blessings. I have a feeling that a job is just around the corner for you...Here's to a brighter 2011.

[KJ-CHICAGO]

11:39 AM on 12/26/2010

It isn't just people in this country who are in dire need. Millions world-wide have no clean drinking water, it is full of disease and they struggle to get even that. Think of this every time you brush your teeth and let the water flow. There is a great charity called "Drop in the Bucket" where for twenty bucks you can build a clean water well for a whole community, and all of your donation goes directly to the project. I gave some of these as Christmas gifts, and whether or not it was a welcome gift, I know it was by people in dire need. Next time you just can't think of what to give someone, consider this. There are choices of what and how much you would or could donate. It will make you feel really good all year!

[maatpublish]

09:09 PM on 12/25/2010

Imagine if everyone simply gave the gift of compassion to one another, not just during the holiday season, but all of the time. Bless you Greg for doing this for someone else. :)

[rinpochet]

12:40 PM on 12/25/2010

Greg is richer than so many whose bank accounts are overflowing. He understands the true meaning of compassion and love.

Remember the scene in "It's a Wonderful Life" when the brother toasts George as "the richest man in the world"? This is Greg. Now .. if someone could just do for Greg what he does for others and provide him with a job, the circle would be complete.

[Leslie J CatesSchauer]

07:49 PM on 12/29/2010

Yes give him a job so he can pay his back child support which is approaching $6k while his children go without.

[rinpochet]

08:30 PM on 12/29/2010

So it is his fault that he is unemployed and he can't support his children?

[hollace]

11:58 PM on 12/24/2010

Anyone who has the opportunity to employ this guy would be giving themsellves a gift. Happy Holidays to him and his housemates.

[dalowman]

11:13 PM on 12/24/2010

The top 2 percent (rich Americans) who benefited from the recent tax perks could learn something from Gregory.................but it is doubtful they will even notice.

[Goldie Goldwire]

03:41 PM on 12/23/2010

I sent the author an email and this is the response I got....

Greg asked me to pass along the following message to people offering to help:

"Please let them know that the best thing they can do is pass it on so to speak. Instead of sending me anything, call a shelter, sponsor a family for Christmas, give to the food pantries, spread the spirit of Christmas to as many people as they can. This would be Truly wonderful.
God Bless everyone who wrote such nice things. To me you are wonderful people. The warmth and love in my heart for others has never been greater."

Happy holidays,

Laura

If we all could be this giving the world wouldn't suck so much.for those who struggle.

[luvsox]

09:17 PM on 12/23/2010

What a good guy.

[Leslie J CatesSchauer]

07:48 PM on 12/29/2010

Greg is a liar who is behind $5k in child support. The state TAKES child support from his unemployment because he would not pay it otherwise. He has 9 NINE kids, not 5 - heck he can't even tell the truth about that! He did this to make himself feel good because he has made a ruin of his real life, abused his whole family, sinned terribly against God too gross to mention here, and threw his wife and kids away for his own selfish needs. Perhaps true journalists should do better research before putting their newspaper's reputation on the line by backing someone like this, eh?

[gmcinahuff]

01:57 PM on 12/23/2010

People often wonder, why is It those with the least who often give the most?
It is because those with the least understand the pain of not having, therefore, tend to have the most empathy. May GOD bless this man wonderfully.

[Thinkingman New Media]

02:11 PM on 12/23/2010

Awesome.

[bright8896]

12:02 PM on 12/23/2010

I want to say thank you to everyone for your nice comments. I am the mother in the article, and I would love it if someone could help Greg get presents for his kids. He is truely a great man and he deserves it. Let me know what I can do to help people help him. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!

[mmgold]

01:19 PM on 12/23/2010

I wish I could, I'm in the same position though. My kids won't have anything from me either this Christmas. But I have to say that I'm truly inspired to do whatever I can to help someone, even if all I have to give is a meal.

But tell him thank you from me. I've posted this story and emailed this story to my friends. Everyone should know that even if we don't have much, we have enough to share.

God Bless you both.

[dclintn648]

08:37 PM on 12/25/2010

If the world was full of people like you and Greg, there would be no one in need. Bless you all, and everyone who still cares about their fellow man in this world. I'm in Canada, but it breaks my heart to see what is happening to the poor and middle class in the U.S. today. My wish for you is that next Christmas will be a wonderful one for all of you. Take care.