No Place Like Home

All it takes sometimes is a sudden rent hike to push a working family into a shelter

The sales rep stationed at the front door of the Kroger supermarket in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, knew a family of attractive marks when she saw one. Here was a nice-looking young couple with their cooing newborn in the shopping cart: perfect targets for a high-speed spiel. "Have you had a family portrait yet? We're running a special deal this week, one 10 by 13-inch portrait, a $60 value, right now for just $8. Oh, the baby's so cute. Can I sign you up?"

The notion was a beguiling one--professional photographs of their adorable Debraysha--but Phenom and De-Shawto Cochran felt...

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