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Thursday, July 03, 2008

Samaritans Come To Woman's Aid

By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
      Because of the generosity of 15 strangers, a woman from the East Mountains got a new home.
    The woman, who prefers not to be identified, has a number of health concerns and is on oxygen, according to Benito J. Martinez Jr., director of the New Mexico Regulations and Licensing's Manufactured Housing Division. He said she was living in a single-wide mobile home off N.M. 14 north of Interstate 40, and the house had a leaky roof, mold, faulty wiring and mechanical problems.
    Martinez was notified of the woman's living conditions by State Rep. Kathy McCoy in early January and has helped to look after the woman ever since.
    “She was very ill,” he said. “She was hospitalized for bronchial pneumonia, possibly because of airborne mold.”
    When her heater went out in February, Martinez called the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department to check on her. The deputy told Martinez it was very cold in the house; that he could see his breath, Martinez said. It was then that Martinez paid to put the woman up in a hotel for a time.
    At one point, the tarp blew off her roof and melting snow was leaking into the house. Joseph Aragon, who works with Martinez, took time off work to go to the woman's home to put the tarp back on, Martinez said.
    “I knew in my heart that we needed to get this woman into another home,” Martinez said.
    Because of the state's anti-donation laws, Martinez was unable to use any of the department's resources to help the woman, he said, but he did manage to coordinate an effort to come to the woman's aid.
    When she heard about the woman's situation, Albuquerque Realtor Jeanette Delgado donated a manufactured home that she'd come into when some buyers had failed to fulfill an agreement, and Martinez used his knowledge of state codes to reactivate the title on the home.
    Abel Casares and his wife, who own a mobile home company, transported the house to the woman's mobile home park and then remodeled it. Carl Ulibarri of Magic Mobile Home Supply put in skirting and steps. Mary Woodson of Bar “C” Metal Roofing put a new roof on the donated home, and John Dominguez of Dominguez Carpet and Tile installed new carpet in three rooms.
    A water heater, refrigerator, weatherization of the windows and a waterline repair job were all donated, as well.
    In addition to those already mentioned, McCoy sent a letter to Gov. Bill Richardson giving credit to Antonio Roybal, A. Jaramillo, Mariano Tixier, Dawn Taylor, Teri Ashton, Daniel Romero, Belinda L. Lucero, and Pastor John Torrison.
    “It's just a great group of people,” Martinez said. “I'm amazed at how these things came together pretty simply. … I don't believe these things happen by accident; I really don't.”
    Martinez said the East Mountains woman's circumstance is not unique, and he sees a need. He is looking into having the group join him in forming a nonprofit organization to provide low-cost housing for those in need around the state.
   

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