ST. LOUIS — In September, tears of pain and shame filled 28-year-old Gino McCoy's eyes.
"I can't count how many times I've cried to my wife," Gino said during a previous interview.
Gino and his 26-year-old wife, Hadah, and their three dogs moved to St. Louis from Phoenix, Arizona. But, then the couple ran into many unexpected challenges and suddenly became homeless.
"That was my first time going through that and for me not having family here, it was very hard. I didn't have nobody to call," Gino added.
Four months later, tears of joy filled his eyes as he unlocked the door to their new home in north St. Louis.
"I think it's amazing. It's a God-given blessing," Gino said.
"It's a blessing to be able to take a proper shower, use the commode properly and eat a home-cooked meal," Gino said.
"I'm pretty excited. I'm amazed. I get to wake up in my house and enjoy my coffee now," Hadah said.
Gino said he had many sleepless nights and felt like giving up at times when he and his wife were at the former homeless encampment outside of St. Louis city hall. But he said he was determined to get his family out of that situation.
They found their new home on their own.
"We drove around looking and we were back and forth on the bus. I told my wife I was going to find us an apartment or a house," Gino said.
Gino landed a construction job.
The couple also relaunched their dog kennel business, saved their money and moved into their new home nearly a month ago.
The St. Patrick Center in downtown St. Louis helped them with cookware, blankets and other necessities.
"We're so happy to be able to support them in the many ways we're able to. This is a great day for them," Amanda Laumeyer, CEO at St. Patrick Center, said.
Now, the courageous couple holds on to each other stronger than ever in their new home.
"This is just the beginning for us. I can't wait to see what else God has in store for us," Gino added.
In March, McCoy said he and his wife will celebrate again.
That's when he will graduate from college with his bachelor's in business administration.