Most real heroes are not people of great renown. They live near us and rarely ask for help. Santiago Bonilla, a 74 year old disabled Vietnam veteran is a hero. Exposed to Agent Orange while serving his country, he uses a walker and will soon lose his legs due to severe diabetes associated with his exposure. Santiago was selected for Habitats 1st Veterans Home Repair Project after his daughter heard about the program and called to ask for help for her father. With a limited income and mobility , he was able to maintain the outside of his Elk Grove home but was unable to make repairs to the inside of his home caused by a roof that had leaked for years. His neighbors were unaware of the deplorable living conditions inside the home which included extensive mold and dry rot damage. Habitat reached out to the community to raise funds to help repair his home. Three of InterWest’s Practice Groups, Benefits, Financial Institutions and Personal Lines provided funds from their philanthropy budgets to begin the repairs.
On September 17th, a team from InterWest spent their Saturday helping with demolition in preparation for the extensive repairs needed to ensure Santiago has a safe and healthy environment to live in.
Thank you Team InterWest!
Dave Ward, Dave Everingham, Gina Bajone, Jennifer and Jayden Weathersbee, Karen Esquibel, Melissa Diaz, Neil Thomas and Stephanie Agapoff.
