The Sanchezes were a very close family. It was normal for the family to spend holidays, birthdays and other special events together. Each occasion was a time for the family to share a home-cooked meal, lots of laughs and great conversations about current events. However, all of the laughs stopped about two years ago when the family’s patriarch, Joe, was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Joe, 72 years of age, was retired from a transportation company. He and his wife Zelda were married for more than 40 years and raised three children. Due to their father’s illness, and wanting to help their mother, two of the adult Sanchez children moved back in with their parents. Joe’s illness took both an emotional and financial toll on the family. Zelda did not have a current driver’s license, so getting Joe to medical appointments became a major concern for the family. As his illness progressed, their adult son, Lee, ended up decreasing his weekly work hours to help transport Joe to his medical treatments and provide respite care.
Sadly, Mr. Sanchez passed away. His death devastated the family. Astronomical medical bills, the loss of Joe’s monthly pensions, and the decrease in Lee’s weekly wages caused a negative domino effect within the Sanchez household. The family ultimately lost their housing. To make matters worse, Lee also was diagnosed with a chronic illness – pancreatic cancer.
In search of affordable housing options, Lee and Zelda Sanchez came to Homefirst. The Homefirst family specialists worked with the family to create a housing plan. Being mindful of the family’s new structure our specialists also began to link the family to counseling and a local resource for a voucher to temporarily offset the rent. We are happy to report recently Lee and Zelda moved into an affordable 2 bedroom housing unit. Additionally, Homefirst has supported the family with food bags, holiday presents, furniture, and other household items.
We know the Sanchez family will never quite be the same with their string of setbacks, but our Homefirst is committed to helping this family for the long-haul.
