Helping a Long Beach Mom Make Crucial Home Repairs

When Long Beach, California homeowner Marisa hired a local contractor to renovate her 1940s home, she was left with gaping holes in her walls and budget.

Marisa’s house retained many of its original fixtures and features. Unfortunately, the structure’s vintage charm was accompanied by leaky kitchen pipes and an aging electrical system that posed a fire hazard.

Homeowner Marisa stands at the Charter our Community rebuild in front of her house in Long Beach, California.

Before her local contractor could make any repairs, he took off with her money. She tried to troubleshoot, but struggled to find a solution.

“I got quotes, but I just couldn’t afford it,” she said. “Being a single parent, it was just too much.”

 

Charter our Community and Rebuilding Together to the Rescue!

Charter Communications and Rebuilding Together volunteers pose in front of the Long Beach, California rebuild.

About two months after filling out an online application with Rebuilding Together, Marisa watched as a team of more than 25 Charter volunteers and Rebuilding Together Long Beachbegan tackling her troubles.

They fixed the pipes, installed a new kitchen threshold, trimmed overgrown trees and applied new paint inside and out. Professional electricians on site helped the team update the home’s electrical system.

 

Volunteers paint Marisa’s kitchen.

“It’s a great way to let our community know we aren’t just here to do installs,” said Danny Zepada, a Charter maintenance technician. “We are here to help, and a little help goes a long way.”

Marisa’s neighbor, Renella, said she was thrilled to see her neighborhood receiving assistance from the Charter our Community program.

Volunteers repair Marisa’s roof.

“I always see on TV how someone is helping people somewhere else, but I always wondered why no one was ever here to help us,” she said. “Today, I woke up, looked out the window and saw someone was finally here to help us.”

 

Helping the Long Beach Neighborhood with Safe & Healthy Home Kits

Renella took home some help for herself in the form of a Safe & Healthy Home Kit from Charter our Community. The kit was one of 300 distributed in conjunction with the Long Beach rebuild project.

Charter volunteers distributed 300 Safe & Healthy Home Kits in the neighborhood.

Charter and Rebuilding Together volunteers manned a table in the parking lot of a nearby elementary school to pass out the kits. For more on the kits’ contents and where you can find them in your area, click here.

 

Marisa stands in front of her home with Charter Communications and Rebuilding Together volunteers.

At the end of the day, Marisa tearfully expressed her gratitude to the Charter volunteers.

“Thank you for giving me your Saturday. You could be barbecuing or going to the beach, but you are here with me,” she said. “I’m so happy. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”