Wow, that's pretty intense. I sort of wonder why he didn't at least buy a bike, though I suppose that would be less than helpful during the winter... it'd probably be easier to walk.
What I'm wondering is, why didn't the boss try to help him out a bit? It seems as though the boss likes him, with what the friendly chats and homemade cooking, so why not... I dunno, throw him a little bonus to get a car or something? I'm sure a raise would be far better, but that just may not have been possible.
Then again, even just being given a car may not have been enough, given all the ridiculous expenses that go into owning a car (title, licenses, insurance, etc), and if it's a cheap used clunker, it would probably need some work done on it in a year or two... it can be a lot. All those little extra things are certainly why I can't buy a car myself.
And what about the GF? Is she even working? Living on one $10.55 wage sure sounds tough (well, I don't know the cost of living in Detroit, so I'm not sure), but if she was working as well, even at minimum wage, it certainly seems like they could have improved their living situation just a bit, unless something is going on in the background (like debt issues, as someone said earlier).
It's good that he's getting help, though.
Good on him.
