Rebuilding Together Kern County partnered with Lowe’s, Southwest Carpenters and many other businesses to help one family in need.
“It’s just overwhelming. It’s just a lot of joy. It’s joy because I dream of doing this, all the time, I always try to improve trying to get better and have better,” said Rufino Talamantes.
And he wants to do that for his wife and 3-year-old son, Jacob.
“It’s just difficult, trying to hold down a job and getting home and trying to fix stuff up at home,” said Talamantes.
Rebuilding Together is a branch of a national organization that rehabilitates homes for people in need. Today, they partnered with Lowe’s, Southwest carpenters and many other local organizations to revitalize the Talamantes home, just after helping their neighbors.
“We got to know little Jacob. He was over at the fence all the time, and we got to talk to him. We started talking to the parents and to the dad and we saw their need. But, also the neighbors said, ‘if there’s someone who needs help, and deserves it, it’s the Talamantes family’,” said Tony Martinez, Vice President of Rebuilding Together, Kern County.
All this happened at perfect timing for the Talamantes family.
“You’re having a stroke, having a heart attack, your tires are breaking down, your washers breaking down, and they came by,” said Talamantes.
Now the Talamantes home is becoming a safer and better place to live.
“It’s the painting of the house, painting upstairs, the rooms, new ceiling fans, new carpet on the stairwells and things like that, we’re trying to do as many improvements as we can,” said Martinez.
Every person working on the home is a volunteer and every penny spent is donated by organizations and people.
“They’re making it a beautiful home. It’s everything I’ve been working [for]. It’s everything I’ve been trying to get for him and they did it. I don’t have words. How do you say thank you to this,” said Talamantes.
If you would like to donate or nominate a family in need, you can visit their website here.
