Karaja Earl and his 8-year-old daughter had no place to live earlier this week when they got good news from an unexpected place: "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

On an episode broadcast Monday, Winfrey gave about 330 audience members $1,000 prepaid debit cards to give to charitable causes. Lucky for Earl, four women from Charlotte were in the crowd.

They donated that money to local social agencies that used it to move Earl into a west Charlotte townhouse Friday. The donations also helped Wanda Sweazey, another homeless Charlottean, move into a house near uptown.

"I can't believe it," Earl said as he and his daughter, Tanajah, walked through their new home for the first time. "I've never won nothing. I've never had nothing."

Mare Henderson, Brenda Clough, Nancy Carlton and Kelly Young attended the show, in which Winfrey told the audience she wanted them to experience "the gift of giving." Under the rules, audience members could give the money to anyone except relatives, or split it among charities.

After the show taping, Carlton said the entire audience was buzzing.

"I told Oprah I was excited, and she came over and gave me a high five," Carlton said. "You could see she was excited. Everybody was."

The Charlotte friends saw a TV news report the next day about the more 1,800 homeless children attending Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and immediately knew how they would use their cards.

They contacted social agencies that help the homeless, which chose Earl and Sweazey. The agencies -- A Way Home, Crisis Assistance Ministry, Socialserve.com and A Child's Place -- contributed another $5,000, as well as furniture, food and other items for the families. The $9,000 will cover rent for Earl and Sweazey for at least a year.

Emotions ran high as Earl and Tanajah toured their new home Friday and met three of the four women who were their benefactors. At one point, Earl stood in the kitchen with his hands covering his face, choking back his emotions.

Earl said he was laid off earlier this year, and this week started a job at a warehouse. Since September, he and Tanajah had lived with friends because he could not afford to rent an apartment or house.

After watching Tanajah, Clough said, "You can look in their face and see the awe. This is the gift of giving that Oprah felt."

Winfrey has gained fame over the years for giving studio audience members gifts, such as cars and money. Audience members this time also received a video recorder to tape their experience for a future show. Henderson said she and the others have been invited to attend a Nov. 21 taping.

Wanda Sweazey and her 10-year-old son, Damien Gibbs, moved to Charlotte from Minnesota two years ago. Since then, they have lived with friends, in by-the-week motels and even in a van.

Sweazey has worked two jobs, she said, but could not make enough to pay for a deposit and first month's rent for an apartment or a house.

"Words can't describe (the feelings)," Sweazey said. "This is beautiful."