OPA-LOCKA, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida police officer and a community came together to lend a helping hand to a family of six after they were found living out of their car.

Speaking with 7News on Tuesday, Anieshea Dansby said she didn’t know whether she and her family would be able to stay together when Opa-locka Police officers found her and her loved ones living inside her 2004 Ford Taurus, Saturday.

“I see the officers. I thought that it was the time that we would be broken up,” she said as she held back tears.

Opa-locka Police Sgt. Michael Steele ran their criminal background, and it showed no history. He then decided to get them help.

“My intuition in this situation told me they needed help,” said Steele.

“For him to come and help us in this way, in this tremendous way, like, going above and beyond,” said Dansby. “They’re just thinking of new things, anyway they can to help us so much.”

Dansby said the police department gave them food and took the family’s Taurus to be repaired.

Dansby, her husband, Dwayne Eason, and their four children had fallen on hard times.

Eason said it was a quick decline. “Before I knew it, we were [living] day by day, week by week,” he said. “It just was crazy.”

Eason has always worked, but Dansby said they were unable to make ends meet. “So much money is going out and not enough coming in,” she said.

Bills continued to pile up for the couple, who had recently moved down to South Florida from Philadelphia.

“If you work every day, it should not be where you can’t have no place to live,” said Dansby. “He works every day.”

The family was living with a family member before moving to a hotel. Then their bank account started to dwindle, until their car was their last resort.

After they were found by officers, Steele contacted his friend Terence Huang, the general manager of the Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market. They came up with a plan.

“We basically looked at the property to see where we could have an air-conditioned room that was large enough to support a family of six,” said Huang.

The family, whose youngest member is just 8 months old, is now calling the flea market home. They are also being helped by vendors at the flea market.

“I just want to tell the people that, ‘Let’s help this family,'” said vendor Leo Alba.

“I’m proud of the people that helped them, that there is goodness in our people,” said Opa-locka Mayor Myra Taylor.

Dansby and Eason continue to work. In the meantime, the flea market has helped set up a GoFundMe page for the family. If you would like to make a donation, click here.

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