Mary Hernandez, 83, and Lucy Ornelas, 81, used to navigate their small west Denver home with ease. And thanks to the generosity of community members, they’ll be able to once again.
More than 30 volunteers from Wells Fargo and Denver-based nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment Inc. swarmed their home Thursday, repainting the faded exterior, installing handrails in and outside the house and finishing new access ramps.
“With all the things they’ve done for us here, it’s going to be so much easier,” Hernandez said. “I still can’t believe it. It’s like a dream.”
The sisters moved in together after failed marriages and reared four children in the home on West 44th Avenue, watching as the neighborhood transitioned from being family-oriented to less-than-ideal and back again.
The improvements, coming 54 years after the pair moved in, were much needed.
Hernandez, treated for polio at 16, suffers from post-polio syndrome which limits mobility in her legs and right arm. Ornelas fell and broke two ribs in April while climbing the only step inside the house.
The work was made possible by a $15,000 Wells Fargo grant to Brothers Redevelopment, which provides accessible housing and services for low-income, elderly and disabled Colorado residents.
Founded in 1978, the organization has painted, sealed and caulked more than 6,700 homes owned by low-income seniors. Brothers also counsels homeowners threatened by foreclosure.
“Personally, for me, I do it to see the satisfaction on the faces of the homeowners,” said Matt DiDomenicomoran, a Wells Fargo home loan writer and volunteer.
Nic Turiciano: 303-954-1223, nturiciano@denverpost.com or follow @Nic_Turishawno
