They Raised Dozens of Foster Kids. Now the Community Is Giving Back to Them

May 9, 2026

For decades, Stephen and Loretta Rodriguez opened their home to children who had nowhere else to go.

Now, after raising dozens of foster kids and changing countless lives, the Detroit couple is finally receiving the same kind of compassion they spent a lifetime giving away.

Photo by: WXYZ Detroit News 7

At 85 and 79 years old, the husband and wife have been married for 43 years and are believed to have cared for between 60 and 70 foster children over the years. One of those children was Shana Risby, who was born to a mother struggling with drug addiction and was given up at birth before being lovingly raised by the Rodriguezes.

“I’m just grateful that I was raised by two people whose main purpose is to pour love,” Risby said.

But recently, the couple who spent decades protecting vulnerable children suddenly found themselves facing a crisis of their own.

Risby, who now lives in California, was stunned when she learned her grandparents were in danger of losing their home.

“When they told me they were going to be evicted from their home, it was really shocking to me,” she said. “It’s something they’ve never experienced before.”

After hearing about the couple’s situation, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries stepped in to help. Led by Dr. Chad Audi, the organization provided the Rodriguezes with a completely furnished home and, perhaps even more importantly, peace of mind.

Their new home includes furnished bedrooms, a living room, dining room, washer and dryer, new flooring, and even a refrigerator stocked with groceries. Best of all, the couple will be able to live there rent free for the next two years.

For Risby, the moment felt deeply personal. The little girl her grandparents once rescued had finally found a way to help rescue them in return.