Because of his nasty demeanor on the streets of a South Carolina town, homeless man Ben Richardson, known as Rock Man, didn't have any friends— and maybe didn't want any friends.

That didn't matter to a group of adults and youth who talked at their church about how missionaries often overlook those in need right in their hometowns. To them he was simply a man who didn't have a home.

"It wasn't until the kids partnered together that Ben started to accept anyone's help," said Lynn Sargent, a Kindergarten teacher who, along with another man in town named Quinn, was the catalyst for the compassion campaign.

The community-wide effort secured a spot on the edge of a property owned by a Richardson relative, and plans for a tiny one-room cottage with a bathroom and porch were drawn up.

People in the small town, 60 miles south of Greenville, donated time, materials and labor to construct the one-room cottage.

A Facebook page titled "A Home for Rock Man" helped bring in donations of furniture, kitchen items, food, a crock-pot, paper products and toiletries.

"He's beginning to trust and smile," Sargent told WYFF-4.  "He's a different person."

"His heart is filled with hope and his face shines with joy," said Angela Cogburn on Facebook.

(READ the full story from WYFF-4)