Homeowner Profile: Meet Your Neighbor, John!

Spring Newsletter Feature

By Board Chair, Emily Ransone

Hearing gratitude from any of our clients after their life- changing repairs are complete warms our hearts. John, a 79-year-old Vietnam War veteran, proclaimed that it was “the best day of his life”, underpinning just how important our work truly is.

John has lived through it all – PTSD from the war, losing both of his parents while he was deployed, and losing his sister in 2015. But you’d never guess that John had been through so much from his warm and infectious smile.

John is a rare – true San Jose native, living in the same home since he was 6 years old. In 1967, he enlisted in the US Army and served for 2 years. When he returned home, his parents had passed on and he inherited their home. His sister lived with him until she passed away. He never married or had children, but he loves spending time with his nephew, hiking, and fishing. Unfortunately, his diabetes, stenosis, and PTSD from the war have hindered him from too much physical activity.

Our wonderful partners at Lowe’s helped RTSV enhance the safety of John’s home by repairing windows, freshening up the home with a coat of paint, and replacing his appliances including his water heater and furnace.

At Rebuilding Together – Silicon Valley, we believe that everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy home, so we help provide critical home repairs to over 600 clients per year, including to those who are aging in place. We rely on generous donations—like those on Giving Tuesday—to continue our essential work and the positive impact we have in these communities.

The repairs made on John’s home would have cost RTSV $30,000 but the labor and materials were generously donated by Lowe’s.

I am beyond thankful for partners like Lowe’s, but we don’t have sponsors for every homeowner we serve.

That’s where your support makes a huge difference! We are one of the only organizations in Santa Clara County that provides free home repairs and thanks to you, we’ve been making these life-changing repairs for over 30 years.

You can help us make a difference in these communities by donating to our cause today or you can learn more information about what your donations help us accomplish by watching Ed Garcia’s story!