Jenna Hauck’s photo of Emily Blondeau and her common-law husband, Kirk Munroe, bathing their four-month-old son, Andrew, in a small, five-litre tub in their truck caught readers’ attention when it appeared on the front page of the Chilliwack Progress on February 10, 2009.
The family had been living in their vehicle at a local truck stop for almost two weeks. Kirk had been laid off from his job on Vancouver Island, and they were heading east to look for work and a new home. Between delayed processing of Kirk’s EI paperwork and not qualifying for welfare because they had no permanent address, the family was living on Emily’s $900 monthly maternity leave benefits.
When that day’s paper hit people’s doorsteps, the people of Chilliwack stepped up to help. Some showed up at the Progress office. Emails flooded in. Dozens of families offered to open their homes to the young family.
As a result of Jenna’s powerful image and their story, the Munroe-Blondeau family was given an apartment to live in, rent-free, until they were back on their feet. Local businesses and residents donated furniture, food and other living supplies. Kirk even got several job applications.
In a follow-up story, three days later, Kirk said: “We want everyone to know that we’re okay. And we don’t know how to thank them all.”
