A few weeks ago, 9-year-old Betzabe Gomez was visiting the home of a neighborhood friend. The children wrote letters to Santa and asked her friend's mom, Araceli Ramos, to send them off. Ramos read the letters, and Betzabe's letter about broke her heart.
Ramos knew a bit about the Gomez' situation. The family's home had been damaged by Hurricane Harvey, and FEMA had denied repairs declaring the home was still safe. Betzabe's father was ill and on dialysis, and the family of seven subsisted mainly on his disability checks. A frequent community volunteer, Ramos got to work.Dear Santa,I need help in my house because when it’s raining, the rain comes in. When I look at it, I am sad. This is why I want help and what if it floods in there. Also, we don’t have no concrete under the carpet. Also, when I come next to the wall the thing is, it’s a giant hole. Anyway, when I come close to the room and the hole I can feel the rain and when It’s raining we have to put a bucket.P.S. I will leave milk, cookies and carrots and water.From: Betzabe Gomez
She contacted the children's school as well as non-profit agencies and businesses. Word spread and support arrived. First there were Christmas gifts wrapped in Sponge Bob paper for Betzabe and her siblings. Then state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston learned of the family's predicament, and he started making calls. While the political wheels turned, Walle took matters into his own hands. He showed up at the Gomez house with a ladder, a blue tarp, and cinder blocks, a temporary fix to be sure, but a fix just the same. Donations of clothing, shoes, flooring, and money have made the holidays brighter for this family. As of today, over $28K of a $35K goal has been raised, thanks to a little girl who asked and the tender-hearted neighbor and community who answered.
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