When Jessica Pearce of Melbourne, Australia was in the market to buy a second house for her family, she decided to buy four of them for the homeless, instead.  The buying spree, four houses in four days, was brought on after Pearce made a wrong turn down an unfamiliar street in Melbourne one day.  Finding herself in an area which she’d never been, she was amazed to see so many people on mattresses and in sleeping bags lining the streets.  After stopping to give away all the cash she had in her wallet and even paying for a full month’s stay in a hotel for a homeless father, Pearce still felt the need to do something more substantial to make an impact on the homelessness problem in her city.

Currently, Pearce is in discussions regarding the legal management of the properties, which will provide a combination of short-term transitional housing and long-term accommodations for families seeking permanent homes.  Pearce’s experience has shown her, and all of us, that the next step in life often hinges on taking a wrong turn in the right direction.