A woman in Glendale, Arizona, got some unexpected help from her neighbors when it seemed all was lost.
Early last year, Gean LeVar’s husband of nearly 60 years passed away in their home, CBS News reported Friday.
Authorities soon learned they had been living in awful conditions and condemned the home on the same day, leaving her without a husband or a place to call her own.
That is when neighbor Carmen Silva decided to take action.
“I’ve always taught my kids to take care of their elders,” Silva told the outlet. Even though the family lives in a three-bedroom house with their eight children, they brought their adopted grandmother into their home.
To LeVar, this family “means everything.”
Meanwhile, the nonprofit organization called Operation Enduring Gratitude heard what happened, and because LeVar’s husband was a Navy veteran, volunteers took it upon themselves to renovate her home.
Glendale Police responded to a call that Jean’s husband had passed away, our community came together to makeover her home she stayed with her neighbors while the home was completely rebuilt down to the studs #Community #homemakeover #veteran #love #operationenduringgratitude pic.twitter.com/Ml1KbVDzF6
— Glendale Police (@GlendaleAZPD) July 15, 2022
The organization’s website said:
The Veteran Community continues to grow larger, older and more in need. We want to fill the gap left by other services. With the help of good people, we make a difference in the lives of the Veterans around us.
We owe a debt of gratitude to those who have fought for our freedom. And through our efforts we offer a tangible and enduring form of gratitude.
Video footage showed the moment LeVar got to tour her updated home that was decorated in patriotic colors, thanks to the 200 volunteers that included veterans, students, and people connected to the veteran community.
The home featured updated electricity and a walk-in shower among other things.
“We’re all joining together to do one thing, and that’s to make somebody’s life whole,” a volunteer told CBS News.
Operation Enduring Gratitude said it always needs people, skilled tradesmen, groups, companies, and those who want to do something for the nation’s veterans, noting, “We welcome your assistance.”