TEMPE, AZ — On Friday afternoon, a Tempe couple celebrated not only a new chapter in their love story, but a new beginning for the rest of their lives after battling through homelessness.
Abdul and Teresa Broner started dating six years ago and had never experienced homelessness before.
However, like more than half of the nation’s population that lives one paycheck away from crisis, they lost their jobs and housing in early 2026.
“It spiraled out of control,” Teresa Broner said.
They ended up at the emergency shelter inside University Presbyterian Church and got connected to the Tempe Community Action Agency.
“They've been part of our shelter for the last couple of months and have just fully ingratiated themselves into our community,” TCAA CEO Phillip Scharf said.
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Despite their situation, the couple didn’t give up. They got new jobs working with the City of Tempe and are in transitional housing as they plan to get into a long-term place to call home next month.
"They are also both employed driving the city bus with the city of Tempe. They're already into a transitional apartment as we wait for permanent housing for them,” Scharf said. “It's just really, I think, the epitome of what we try to strive to do here."
They asked the shelter and community leaders who helped them through the toughest time of their lives to celebrate their next chapter as newlyweds.
“There's help out there if you want help,” Abdul Broner said.
The Tempe Community Action Agency partnered with multiple organizations that donated their time, food, music and even the cake for the nuptials at the same church shelter they were once in.
“Anything is possible, especially if you stick together,” Teresa Broner said. "A lot of people did a lot to make this happen for us.”
