Deanna Hess
The Voice of REACH in Lents
After a terrible snowstorm in 2008, the shut-off valve to Deanna Hess’ water was stuck wide open. Huge bills started coming in that would have been unmanageable for most. For Deanna, they were especially painful. Due to chronic health problems following an on-the-job injury, she was no longer working, and she had lost her husband five years ago. It was hard to stay on top of things.
She got so behind on her water bills that it was shut off completely for two weeks. She can joke about it now. “I did what you could call urban camping,” she laughed, explaining how she carried water from a friend’s house.
Through the Lents Neighborhood Association, Deanna found out about REACH’s Community Builders program, which provides free home repairs to senior and disabled homeowners. The leak got fixed, and Deanna got to work, spreading the word about REACH in her neighborhood and at her church. Oftentimes, REACH supplements our outreach efforts through word of mouth of our Community Builders recipients, like Deanna. We’re always grateful when neighbors hear about REACH through their community.
After being in her home for 17 years, reaching out to her neighbors came naturally. Two of them have already applied for help from the program, including one man who is struggling with lung disease as his wife battles cancer. “He just puts the hospital bills in a bag because he can’t afford to pay them,” said Deanna, who was aware that the couple had not been able to upkeep their home. “I knew he needed help, but he didn’t know where to go.”
Deanna hopes better maintained homes will improve the overall quality of living in Lents, which sees its share of crime and other problems. “We’re trying real hard to improve it,” she said. At church, Deanna’s outreach for the Community Builders Program is also well received, especially from older people who want to stay in their homes. Although it’s great to rely on family when you can, “you can’t expect the kids to do it all the time, or a lot of people are like me, they don’t have kids,” she said.
Thank you Deanna — your generosity and commitment make our work possible.
