A family saw a homeless man behind a strip mall and knew they had to help

What began as a way to kill 20 minutes before a haircut, turned into a Tri-City Christmastime outpouring for a homeless man.

Adam Watters walked into a Kennewick hair salon two weeks ago and found it crowded with people. Normally, he sits and waits, but that day he decided to go for a walk.

As he turned the corner of the 27th Avenue strip mall, he saw a man wrapped up in a sleeping bag, tucked into an alcove behind some pipes.

“To be honest with you, I questioned if he was even alive,” Watters said.

The 37-year-old Kennewick real estate agent decided to buy the man something to eat. He went to a nearby Burger King, bought a Whopper and a cup of coffee, and tiptoed over to the sleeping man, still not sure if the man was breathing.

Adam cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me.”

“He popped up, startled. And I said, ‘Its chow time.’ ”

Adam handed him the food and walked away, expecting it would be the last time he saw Lance Purley. But his family wanted to see if he was still sleeping in the cold.

When Adam, his wife Annie and their children, Gwen, 6, Lola, 9, and Lyza, 16, drove by and saw the 45-year-old man in the same spot, they wanted to help.

They went to Walmart and began throwing items into a cart.

“The kids were getting a kick out of it. They wanted to get him everything in the store,” Annie said. “We had to tell them, ‘Guys you can’t get him everything in the store. He has to be able to carry it.’ ”

But when they returned, Purley was gone.

“It was like a janitor came and vacuumed and swept up everything,” Adam said. “He picked up all of his belongings. It was like he was never there.”

They returned home, and wondered what had become of the man. The next day, the Tri-Cities was blanketed with 3 inches of snow.

They were worried, and decided to look for him again. He was back behind the strip mall, so they bought him some breakfast and warm clothes.

Later, Adam posted about Purley on Facebook. The first response was from a man who offered to bring Purley some hot chocolate. Others delivered hand warmers, food and other clothing.

Word spread. Pasco police dispatcher Jeni Copeland heard about Purley and paid for a hotel room. Others followed, paying $64 a night to keep Purley out of the cold.

They paid for a haircut, new clothes and food. Adam Watters said it’s made a world of difference.

“He was filthy from being homeless for so long,” he said. “It was almost like when you find a stray dog. It’s been neglected and malnourished and you can see that he needs help.”

Purley appreciates the help, and said he wants to use the chance to improve his life. He began looking for work the next day.

“I know in my past, I’ve messed up a lot of things and I have learned from it,” said Purley, who has struggled with alcohol addiction. “I’m just trying to be better for myself.”

Purley said he left Las Cruces, N.M., to be near his mother in Eugene, Ore., who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

After she died, he returned to New Mexico. But he lost the van he was living in when he went to Wyoming. He came to the Tri-Cities earlier this year.

Adam hoped people could provide Purley enough time at the motel so he could find work and a permanent place to stay.

Copeland set up a PayPal account at bit.ly/OperationLance, and other donations are being for Operation Lance at the La Quinta Inn, 2600 S. Quillan Place. Purley has a place to stay though Jan. 8.

Adam and Annie Watters said people can become too focused on their own issues during the season. They wanted to show while people can’t change the world, they can help the life of one person.

“I have a warm bed. I have a nice home. I have all of these things, and I met somebody this season who has none of it,” Adam said. “We couldn’t leave him destitute like that.”

This story was originally published December 24, 2016 at 9:03 AM with the headline "A family saw a homeless man behind a strip mall and knew they had to help."