Escambia County buying bus tickets for homeless to return home

Sean Scarbrough has been camping on the streets of Downtown Pensacola for the past year and a half. The 32-year-old man moved here from Tennessee in memory of his late mother, who had always wanted to visit Pensacola with her son.

Scarbrough left his family and the car detailing business that he ran for seven years in hopes the move would honor his mom and help him handle his grief. Instead, he became homeless and survived by dumpster diving, sleeping on the sidewalk, and relying on the generosity of others.

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When he was offered the opportunity for a bus ticket back home, he took it, with tears of gratitude. Within two days he was on a Greyhound bus back to Tennessee, where friends and family are waiting to take him in.

“I was asleep on the sidewalk and an officer that I’ve known for a little bit, a real nice guy, told me that there are people that can help me get back home,” said Scarbrough, “and the next day they were there to help me get the bus ticket to get back home.”

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