ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A local family has gone through an eviction, three separate rounds of searching for their stolen truck, and hopping from hotel to hotel.

Tonight’s Pay It 4ward helps a person who’s bringing them some good luck in the midst of a lot of bad. 

The Stephens family’s string of bad luck started in 2020.

“When it came down to renewing our lease, she would not renew our lease,” said Tenaya Stephens, Pay It 4ward nominator. 

They went to court but lost the case, and their home.

“We’ve been homeless for three years, we’ve been living in our truck, I have an 11-year-old son and my two dogs,” said Stephens. 

Stephens says thieves kicked them while they were down more than once. They’re dealing with the third theft of their truck.

“I think it was a random act, I think all three of them were random acts, but they haven’t ditched it or the cops haven’t found it yet,” Stephens said. “That is everything that we had to our name. That was our home, that was our job.”

And the only way to get her son Tyler to school. Stephens turned to social media to share her family’s story, and ask her neighbors to keep an eye out as the family stays in a motel.

“And that’s where Kelly comes into play,” said Stephens. 

Kelly was Tyler’s fifth grade teacher last year. 

“She loved that boy, I don’t know what he did, but she loved that boy more than anyone could ever imagine,” Stephens said. 

She came to the family with a generous offer. 

“She offered to feed him, clothe him, house him, get him to school, the whole nine yards,” Stephens said. “If we don’t pay our rent every day here, we’re literally out on the streets.”

So every morning and every evening, Kelly is at the family’s doorstep. 

“She’s an amazing teacher. She’s amazing friend. And now that I know her on a personal level, she’s an amazing person,” said Stephens.

So it was time to Pay It 4ward with $400. 

Watch the video above for more.