'You can save lives:' Facebook group donating RVs to doctors

DALLAS -- Emily Phillips is the wife of an emergency room doctor.

Her husband, Jason, is on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, and while his focus is aimed at protecting family members in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Emily's focus is on protecting him and their three children.

“Imagine being scared of living in your own home, I mean it was horrible and it caused a lot of tension between my husband and I," Emily said.

It prompted the couple to find a way -- another place for Jason to stay.

"She put out a post that asked if anybody had an RV they would be willing to donate," said Lynn Bender.

With Bender's help, Emily was connected to an RV immediately, but she quickly realized the problem stretched far beyond her family. So, "R.V.s for M.D.s" was created as a way for people willing to donate a mobile home for temporary use to get connected to those who need one.

"If you would read the stories that are posted within the group, they bring tears to your eyes," Bender said. "I know I read one the other day that said that the man was actually sleeping in his shed in the backyard and showering with he garden hose so that he didn't infect his family.”

To help people avoid this, the group connects those in need with an available RV. So far, requests have come from almost every state. Those who receive a home can pick it up or arrange for it to be dropped off at their location -- the only thing asked of recipients is that they pay it forward.

“It’s so easy, who's got an RV? Who needs an RV? And you save lives," Emily said. "You can save lives you can save hundreds, thousands of lives.”

The Facebook group has over 3,000 members. So far, they've been able to place at least 50 people in donated RVs. They also say they're still working on 700 requests for placement across the nation.