We were always taught to love our neighbors. These are people we live close to and nearby, and even if we don’t often exchange hellos, there will come a time we need to lend each other a hand.
Being neighborly doesn’t require grand actions. It could be as simple as returning a missent mail or parcel or sending over some food to share. But if we can do more, we know we are always ready to help.
Losing her home
It was January last year when Gean LaVar lost her husband of 58 years inside their home in Glendale, Arizona. Since she is widowed and now lives on her own, the police checked her living condition.
They were shocked by what they saw. Everything was a mess, and it looked like the house was no longer safe to live in. They condemned the house because it was hazardous for an elderly like Gean to stay in.
On that day, she lost her husband and her house; she lost her home.
Love thy neighbor
Gean’s husband was the only family she had. She had no kids to run to and nowhere to go. But she was blessed with a loving neighbor in the Silvas.
The Silva family lived across the street and told Gean that they would fix her problem. Carmen, the family’s mother, offered to open their home to her.
Their family did not have much room. They have eight kids and live inside a small three-bedroom house. But the boys willingly gave up their room and slept on the living room couch.
The kids were more than happy to help because, with it, it was like welcoming their adopted grandmother. Carmen said she never had second thoughts about this setup because she always taught her kids to be kind to elders.
Happiness in family
Gean looked much happier around the Silva family. She smiled more and had nothing to worry about. She had a loving family around her and couldn’t be more grateful.
She was blessed to have a loving neighbor that she could now call her family. What she didn’t know was that more blessings would come her way.
A new home
Upon hearing Gean’s story, Operating Enduring Gratitude acted on the predicament. This nonprofit organization helps veterans and their families. And since Gean’s husband was in the Navy, they volunteered to renovate her old house.
They worked on making her old house safe to live in. The group also made sure that it was clean and furnished with new furniture and fixtures. It was really like brand new.
The organization and the rest of their volunteers surprised Gean when they finally turned over her new home. She was pleased with what she saw and was amazed at how everything turned out.
She now had a new home for herself. Although, Gean had a plan to return the favor to the Silvas and open her new home to them.
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