After lifetime of helping others, East Austin grandmother needs home repairs
Bridget GrumetOlivia R. Hernandez has spent her life caring for others: raising five kids, scrubbing windows and floors as a night-shift custodial worker, then tending to her husband, Manuel Hernandez, when the abdominal pains he thought were caused by gallstones turned out to be from Stage 4 colon cancer.
After Manuel died in 2001 in the East Austin home where the couple raised their family, Olivia and her daughter, Debbie Hernandez, found healing in helping others. Both women volunteered for years at what was then called SafePlace (now SAFE), the nonprofit for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They sorted clothing donations and put together care packages for new arrivals at the battered women’s shelter.
Being of service “was something I enjoyed. It was comforting for me,” said Debbie Hernandez, 61, who has several health conditions, including advanced arthritis that limits her mobility.
Olivia Hernandez, 82, nodded. She would still be helping out, she said, if her body wasn’t failing her now.
“Right now, I can’t feel them,” Olivia said, looking with dismay at her aged hands. “They’re numb.”
Her doctor told her it was probably carpal tunnel syndrome — not from keyboards Olivia has never touched, but from a lifetime of toiling with her hands. Indeed, Olivia was still gardening and mowing her own lawn until a few years ago, at age 78, when she fell and fractured her spine while carrying a 24-pack of bottled water into the house. Now she needs the community’s help with repairs for her home of 52 years.
The Hernandez family is part of the Statesman's Season for Caring program, which helps hundreds of families each year through local nonprofit agencies. The Hernandez family was nominated by Interfaith Action of Central Texas' Hands on Housing program, which helps repair the homes of older adults and people with disabilities living in deep poverty.
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Olivia Hernandez’s home, a birthday gift from her late husband, now buckles with age. A cracked sewage pipe emits strong odors from the downstairs bathroom. The roof leaks. Repairs are needed to plumbing fixtures and the heating and air conditioning systems. A slate of accessibility upgrades are also needed, from a handrail on the stairs to a walk-in shower in the bathroom.
Luckily, Lighting Inc. and another anonymous electrician have agreed to repair light fixtures and replace old circuit breakers. More construction companies are needed to step up to complete the other home repairs.
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Just paying for groceries, the utility bill and other necessities depletes Olivia’s Social Security check and Debbie’s monthly disability payment. There’s no money left for replacing the motor in Olivia’s 2010 Chevrolet HHR, which has been sitting unusable for more than a year. The women rely on relatives to drive them to the grocery store and doctor’s appointments.
“This is the first time I’ve been without a car. I’ve always had a car,” Olivia said. But looking at the demands on her tight budget, she said, “I’d rather have a roof over my head.”
The family seeks a replacement motor for their car, or a replacement car; various home repairs; the addition of handicap-accessible features; weatherization upgrades and utility bill assistance; gas gift cards; and gift cards to buy presents for grandchildren/great-grandchildren.
To find out more about the Hernandez family or to give an item on their wish list, contact Interfaith Action of Central Texas, 512-386-9145, interfaithtexas.org.
About Season for Caring
The Statesman will be sharing the stories of all 12 Season for Caring families throughout the holiday season. Find more stories and information at statesman.com/seasonforcaring. You can donate online or use the coupon on Page 2B and mail it to Austin Community Foundation, c/o Statesman Season for Caring, 4315 Guadalupe St., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78751. Make checks payable to “Statesman Season for Caring.” Now through Dec. 25, all monetary donations will be matched up to $500,000 by the Sheth family.