WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A mother and her young daughter, facing homelessness and unsure of where they’d sleep next, found hope — not in a shelter or government office, but inside a local library, sitting across from the officers who chose compassion over citations.
WATCH BELOW: 'I didn't have nowhere to go,' Nika Roberts says of her situation before meeting officers
West Palm Beach mother, Nika Roberts, had nowhere left to turn.
After losing her job, then her car, and finally her home, she said the calls for help went unanswered.
“I didn't have nowhere to go at all,” said Roberts.
“Were you scared?” asked WPTV's Kate Hussey.
“Yeah."
Roberts said she called every shelter in the area, but every one told her they were filled.
She said she called DCF, but was told they couldn't help either. With her 4-year-old daughter's safety top of mind, panic and desperation began to rise.
“I never feel like I felt this low down before in my life, like I feel like I never hit rock bottom without no help and no support,” said Roberts.
Out of options, she walked into the West Palm Beach Police Department — not looking for law enforcement, but for a lifeline. Officer Katie Smith was the first to answer that call.
“We reached out to some resources, nothing was available," said Smith. I reached out to [PBSO] Deputy [Jim] Mackey, and unfortunately they were out of the funds for that time being.”
Smith, though, couldn’t let Roberts walk back out without help. She paid for a hotel room for Roberts and her daughter for two nights — out of her own pocket.
“It's the right thing to do. I don’t want to leave somebody on the streets, especially if she has a young daughter," said Smith.
When the two nights ran out and no housing had opened up, West Palm Beach Officer Nelson Carceras stepped in next.
He also paid for lodging from his own funds — not for cameras, or attention — but simply because he cared.
“That's the part of this job — that's the beautiful thing. At the end of the day this is what we signed up for.,” said Carceras.
The help didn’t stop there, though.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Deputy Jim Mackey, with PBSO's homeless intervention team, began calling his connections. Melissa Onappeau with the Mandel Library found Roberts a job. Goodwill CEO Karen Davidson helped her secure more permanent housing, something Davidson said she's seeing more people desperately in need of.
“We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of people coming to our building on 45th Street seeking some relief from the crisis that we’re in," said Davidson.
And in a moment of peace — not on the street, but seated safely in the library — Roberts and her daughter laughed and played with the very people who helped change their lives.
“My house looks good, don’t it?” laughed the mother as she and her daughter played with blocks.
Through tears of joy, Roberts now speaks of a fresh start.
“Yeah, happy tears. I’m excited for my new journey. I don’t know, I just don’t know — I’m speechless," said Roberts.
Nonprofit Dress for Successprovided Roberts with a new work wardrobe, and Little Smiles, which partners with West Palm Beach police, provided Nika's daughter with new shoes, which she proudly showed off.
“They gave me a whole bunch of clothes, and I just wanted to wear this one, because this one was my best fit,” she exclaimed.
Roberts' story is one of struggle — and survival — but most of all, kindness. Proving sometimes, kindness isn't loud. Sometimes it's the quietest acts of kindness that make the biggest difference. And through that kindness, Roberts found her way back.
“Do you feel like you have a support system now?” Hussey asked.
“Yeah, with these guys! I feel like these are my family," she replied, beaming.
In 2024, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to more than 4,553 calls for service involving homelessness within the county. That doesn't include calls that fell within municipalities, like West Palm Beach.
Officers said the need is growing — and resources aren't keeping up.
Roberts hopes her journey can serve as a reminder of that need, and as an encouragement to others: even when everything feels lost, help and humanity can still be found.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach out to homelesshelp@pbso.org.
