Man reunited with family at Dallas shelter after decade living on the street
DALLAS - With temperatures below freezing, many unsheltered residents in North Texas are looking for a place to stay.
A man brought in from the cold to an overflow shelter at Dallas' Oak Lawn United Methodist Church found his mother, sister and brother inside.
The man, named Bartholomew, was reunited with his family after living on the streets of Dallas for over a decade.
"Oh my God, mom. Oh my God, mom," he can be heard saying in a video.
Bartholomew was experiencing the effects of being out in the cold when he first came to the shelter.
While being checked out by EMS, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church learned he had family members.
With a little internet research, they found his sister and gave her a call.
"We were able to talk to his sister, and she immediately said we'll come and get him," said Senior Pastor Rachel Griffin.
The family said they had been attempting to find him for more than 10 years and had no idea he was in Dallas.
Bartholomew's mother, brother and sister drove seven hours overnight from Kansas to pick him up.
Griffin was there for the happy reunion.
"It is a reminder to all of us that every person who comes into shelter is someone's son or daughter," she said.
Bartholomew began jumping up and down when he saw his family members and gave them all a big hug.
"You were the one that remembered my number," his sister said.
A church member recorded the touching moment.
"It's really, really moving when you can see someone really come to a place and say it's time to go home. I need my family," said Griffin.
Pastor Griffin said she felt blessed to bear witness.
READ MORE: Organization looks to get homeless off the street during dangerous cold
Bartholomew is headed back to Kansas with his family.
He told Pastor Griffin that he knows it will be a hard adjustment, but he's ready to give it a go.
Meanwhile, dozens of unsheltered residents remain at the church.
There's a need for volunteers.
If you would like to help click here.