Family finds a place to live with help of volunteers – Jackson Hole News&Guide

Its funny how a seemingly inconspicuous moment can forever alter the course of someones future.

Just under a year ago Noemi Perez and her two sons, 12-year-old Ventura and 5-year-old Dominic, were living out of boxes on the floor at the Virginian Apartments.

Last Monday the family finally moved into secure affordable housing, available for at least four years, thanks to a random but growing group of community-minded volunteers looking to revitalize Jacksons small-town feel one household at a time.

As their neighbors at the Virginian were evicted to make way for a renovations last year, Perez scrambled to find a new home in Jackson, fearful that she would have to uproot her family and send her boys back to Mexico to live with their grandmother as she continued to work and save money here.

We had nowhere to go, she said. It was very stressful. I cried enough when we had to send our dog Charlie back to Mexico. I couldnt bear the thought of not having Dominic and Ventura with me.

Their fortunes changed while standing around a folding table dispensing lemonade in Phil Baux Park.

I call it my magic lemonade stand, said Wren Fialka, founder of the Spread the Love Commission, a nonprofit that worked with the Perez family to find them stable housing. When I first started going to some of the meetings about housing, everybody was bumping heads. I said, Lets just go do something and lets see whats possible. The response from the community has been truly amazing. Its been one miracle after another, and it all started with the lemonade stand.

Though Fialka has run the Spread the Love Commission for years, it largely focused on providing goods to homeless communities in larger cities like Denver, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. But during a housing march last July, Fialka heard families speak about their struggles here in Jackson and decided to refocus her efforts closer to home.

Unsure of exactly how to help, Fialka started by hosting a weekly lemonade stand at Phil Baux Park to raise money and awareness for the cause.

While the money helped, what families like the Perezes really needed was a house. As Noemi Perezs search for a new home stretched from days into weeks, she began to consider the possibility of sending her boys back to Mexico.

But I felt in my heart that something good was going to happen, she said. I truly believed it, even during the hard times, because we had such amazing people around us.

The next day, just one day before Ventura and Dominic were scheduled to leave on a bus headed to Mexico, Jackson homeowner Jessica Chambers and her husband, Reed, came to the lemonade stand and mentioned they had an unfinished basement that, with some renovation, could be used to temporarily house the family until the winter. By themselves, however, they were struggling to find the time or money to remodel the space and make it livable.

A lightbulb flashed above Fialkas head.

Immediately she began reaching out to friends in search of volunteers to help in the renovation. Within a couple of days she had a crew of volunteers, a number of businesses willing to donate materials and a plan to move forward.

Though many of the volunteers were far from skilled laborers, everyone did as much or as little as they could.

Jackson Lumber donated drywall and wood flooring. Carpenters volunteered time. Friends painted and sanded. Neighbors offered the use of their trucks. Others donated beds, refrigerators, furniture and clothing. Some simply left a check to help pay for food and other necessities.

This is a win-win for everybody, Chambers said. Were helping the Perez family, but others are helping our family [remodeling our basement]. It takes a village.

In all, Fialka said, 45 people contributed to the cause in some fashion, and two weeks after their meeting at the lemonade stand the Perezes were out of the Virginian Apartments and moved into the Chambers basement.

It was one of the happiest moments of my life, Noemi Perez said. I didnt care where we were or how small it was, just as long as we were able to stay together.

With free labor and cheap materials the Chamberses were able to finish their basement for pennies on the dollar, and, as a result the Perez family was given free rent for the summer.

We manage to manifest all kinds of things for ourselves, even when were not noticing it, Fialka said. If you walk by somebody who looks like theyre having a hard day, ask him how hes doing. Do whatever your comfort level dictates. Buy him a cup of coffee, give him a fist bump, give him a hug. Just start there and that one tiny little thing will create a domino effect.

As word spread, Fialkas list of donators and volunteers grew by the day. One of them, Cindy Budge, initially contacted Fialka to donate appliances. When she came to drop off a refrigerator and saw what was going on, she immediately bought in.

Ive been watching the housing market in Jackson closely going on 15 years saying we have to do something different, she said. Everyone talks about Jackson changing, but Jacksons changed so many times over the years, whos to say enough is enough?

What I miss the most is the community, she said. For people to not be able to find a place to live and have to live in their cars, that is not community. Those people are homeless, and we as a community are saying not my problem.

Despite being as old-time Jackson as it comes, Budge has spurned the idea of no growth and has welcomed change, happy to share this beautiful valley with all who come.

She had been renovating half of her duplex in East Jackson but became sick and had to stop. With volunteer labor, she was able to complete the project and begin to make use of the space. In exchange for the free labor Budge deducted $25 per volunteer hour from the Perez familys rent. As it currently stands the family will get $100 off their rent each month for the next four years.

This is not a charity, Budge said. This is a way of thinking out of the box and trying to come up with some different solutions.

Its a business for me, and I got good value from this, she said, but on the other side of it, money isnt necessarily what drives all of us. Ideally this will motivate other people to think outside of the box to come up with other ways to help out. Until we start addressing the commercial growth going on here with addressing housing, were going to continue to have problems.

Since leaving the Virginian Apartments last September, Perez and her sons have moved three times. Their most recent move, into Budges house, is likely to be the last they will have to endure for years to come.

Its a huge relief, Perez said. I think were all still in shock and havent had a chance to relax and let it sink in. We just feel so lucky to have such amazing people around us. Theyre our angels, and they will always be a part of us. We truly feel a part of this community and like we are valued here. This is my home. Hopefully we can continue doing this for other families.

With the Perez family in secure housing, Fialka and the Spread the Love Commission can focus on building a foundation on which to expand. She has a network of some 70 volunteers and donors from all corners of Jackson, but she needs more.

As a fairly spontaneous creation the Spread the Love Commission had very little outside funding. Fialka basically emptied her savings account including the money she saved for the down payment on a house of her own to see this project through to the end. With nonprofit status she is now focused on building a more fully formed organization to support her efforts supporting others.

This is the only thing I want to do anymore, Fialka said. This is what Ive been searching for my entire life.

For the first time this spring Spread the Love Commission will be part of Old Bills Fun Run for Charities, which will begin collecting donations Aug. 1. Those interested in donating can do so at CFJacksonHole.org/old-bills. Information about the organization can be found at SpreadLoveByGiving.org.

Original post:
Family finds a place to live with help of volunteers - Jackson Hole News&Guide