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Two friends spotted a homeless woman living in her SUV outside Target — but the heartbreaking scene inside moved them to buy her a $30K apartment

Police informed them that the woman had been living in her car for over two years, quietly enduring life in the parking lot.

BY PAHUL NANRA

PUBLISHED 10 HOURS AGO

(L) A homeless woman sitting on the street. (R) Two woman moving into a new apartment. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) O2O Creative, (R) South_agency)

In April 2019, two best friends in Pennsylvania noticed something that moved them deeply while walking through a store parking lot. What they saw inside a parked SUV stayed with them so strongly that they decided to take action. That decision eventually helped a homeless woman begin a new chapter in life, one filled with comfort, hope, and a place to call home.

Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | MART PRODUCTION — A homeless woman lying on a bench. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | MART PRODUCTION)

As reported by ABC News, Jennifer Husband-Elsier and her friend Melissa Akacha spotted an elderly woman living inside her car under the covered area of a Target parking lot in King of Prussia. Concerned, Jennifer shared a post on a neighborhood app asking, “Does anyone know anything about the elderly woman with two dogs that has recently been living in her car under the covered part of the Target parking lot?” Police told her the woman had been living this way for more than two years. Jennifer’s message quickly gained attention and led to a remarkable turn of events for the then 70-year-old Lynn Schutzman, a former pharmacist struggling with serious health problems.

Target store overview. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Joshua Brown) — Target store overview. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Joshua Brown)

When the two friends approached Lynn’s SUV, their first question was simple: “Are you OK?” They soon learned her story. After losing her husband and suffering from several illnesses, Lynn’s medical bills became overwhelming. She couldn’t afford her home anymore, so she moved her belongings and two dogs into her small SUV. Shelters would not take her because of the pets, and she didn’t qualify for housing assistance. Melissa, who was also a pharmacist, reached out to colleagues and discovered that Lynn had once been a respected mentor in their field. “Everybody knew that Lynn was a really wonderful, sweet, loving, giving person who really fell on hard times,” Jennifer said. "That made us confident in our journey to start helping her."

An old woman playing with her dog. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Canan Yasar)

The women started by paying for Lynn to stay in a hotel and later created a GoFundMe page to raise money for her. “We need to help this woman. No one should ever have to live the way she is living,” their post read. In just ten days, donations poured in, enough to rent a studio apartment for Lynn. About a dozen neighbors volunteered to paint and furnish her new home, bringing donated furniture, food, and supplies. Committees were formed to fix Lynn’s car, walk her dogs, and help arrange her medical care. “Everyone wanted to be a part of this,” Melissa said. “I know that Lynn needed us. She needed friendship and love and people who care.”

When Lynn saw her new apartment for the first time, she was overwhelmed with emotion. “It’s incredible,” she told the news channel. Jennifer and Melissa joined her for Thanksgiving that year, along with others who had helped. Lynn lived comfortably with her two dogs, and neighbors often stopped by to help take them on walks. Lynn’s rent was covered for two years, and more than $30,000 was raised in total. “It wouldn’t have happened without these angels,” Lynn told the outlet. “I just want people to realize that this can happen to anybody...Sometimes, you know, just the kindness of strangers just makes all the difference in someone's life.”