 Peoples' Self-Help Housing
Even the simple gifts can help those in need
12/20/2004 | By June Rich | News-Press Correspondent
Len Wood | News-Press | Thirteen-year-old Sandy Sanchez was about to lose all her teeth because her family couldn't afford dental care. But with an assist from the Peoples' Self-Help "resident enrichment fund," she can now give a toothy grin.
Little Francisco Martinez, 6, lays in bed at Cottage Hospital fighting cancer.
His parents, Francisco and Vianey, sit nearby, worrying. Will the tumor on his liver—his second fight with cancer in his young life—respond to the next year of intense chemotherapy? Will it stop pushing against his lung, so he can breathe more clearly and leave the intensive care unit, possibly to go home?
With those grave considerations pressing upon the couple, it seems almost impossible to handle all the other details of their lives, some not so small.
An aunt has stepped in to watch their other child, year-old Yair, and a grandmother from Mexico may fly in soon to help, too. Other family members bring them meals at the hospital when they can.
They've also received an unusual assist, from their landlord.
Peoples' Self-Help Housing gave the family $500 to help with any expenses while Mr. Martinez, a gardener, misses work to be at his at his son's bedside.
The parents were overwhelmed with the gift, according to Mr. Martinez's cousin, Martha Santos. Ms. Santos translated the sentiments of her cousin, who doesn't speak English.
"I have the courage to keep going because of the support everybody is giving us," said Mr. Martinez. "I can keep pushing, to get Francisco through such a hard time."
The cash from Peoples' Self-Help comes from the agency's "resident enrichment fund"—donations pooled to pay for a range of unanticipated costs, such as medical expenses, educational supplies, or even to buy every child within their complexes a Christmas present.
The organization collects about $10,000 every year, then redistributes it to those in need. Typically, the manager or social work at an apartment complex notices that a family is in distress and applies for help on their behalf. Sometimes the money also goes to the four learning centers at its complexes for supplies or field trips.
Peoples' Self-Help estimates that at least 1,000 people receive help from the fund every year.
Occasionally, a tenant makes a direct plea for help, like Sandy Sanchez.
The 13-year-old went to a free dental clinic in Carpinteria because she had such problems with her teeth.
"Sandy came up and said, 'Can you help me? I'm in terrible pain,'" said Jeanette Duncan, executive director of Peoples' Self-Help, recalling a staff member's account. "She was about to lose her teeth. She had terrible abscesses. She was just miserable."
Mrs. Duncan said the bill was going to be upwards of $1,000 for root canal, cavity and crown work. They found a Carpinteria dentist, Dr. Robert Berkenmeier, willing to do all the work for free if someone else paid for the materials.
Peoples' Self-Help wrote the $425 check to make it happen.
"Sometimes I didn't want to laugh because people would see the black spot on my front tooth," said Sandy, an eighth-grader at Carpinteria Middle School whose father works in a nursery in Carpinteria. "It's so much better now. I can laugh and show off my teeth."
For Chris Lafco, a resident of the Victoria Bungalows, the fund really made a difference when he lost his father to prostate cancer two years ago.
The 49-year-old lives on his disability check, which barely covers everyday expenses.
He was able to afford the flight home to Ohio for the funeral by using his brother's frequent flier miles.
But Mr. Lafco didn't own a suit, an especially tough bind because he was to be a pallbearer.
A social worker from the agency helped Mr. Lafco orchestrate all the details of the trip, down to driving him to Catholic Charities to get a suit, tie and shoes, paid for by Peoples' Self-Help.
Said a very grateful Mr. Lafco, "It meant a lot because basically, at that point, I was lucky if I could tie my own shoelaces."
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