The Hill Family Home Receives a Much Needed Makeover

The Hill Family Home Receives a Much Needed Makeover

Posted on May 29, 2020

For John and Ann Hill, being of service to their community has always been a priority.

They first met while working at Foster Farms in Livingston, married in 1978 and purchased their beloved 1,247 square foot home in Winton, CA in 1979.

Winton is an unincorporated community in Merced County, only 2.5 miles north of Atwater with a population of 10,613. It was the perfect small town to grow some roots. Their love for serving their community was evident early on, both being heavily involved in their church from the start.

Ann later left Foster Farms to devote herself to a ministry she founded called Women of Love Ministry in 1986 with a mission to help women and children in their community. A few years later, John started a church, and retired from Foster Farms in 2003. Over time, and with the countless years of service to their community, their home slowly became neglected and in need of some love of its own.

It was through a friend that Ann learned about Self-Help Enterprises. “It was last summer that my friend mentioned Self-Help Enterprises was helping them with essential home repairs and suggested we give them a call,” said Ann. “We started the paperwork in August of 2019.  Self-help Enterprises walked us step by step through the process. It didn’t matter how many questions we had, they patiently answered each one. The staff we met and spoke to over the phone were Patty, Sam, Melissa, and Eliza. I called them “the Self-Help Dream Team.”

“This was a major home rehabilitation project,” said Sam Palmer, Rehabilitation Specialist for Self-Help Enterprises. “The project included roof repair, siding and stucco repairs, new paint, new insulated windows and doors, complete replacement of both bathrooms, including re-framing for dry rot and termite damage, new interior doors, new flooring, complete replacement of all kitchen and bath cabinets, complete replacement of all plumbing and pipes, and expanded electrical to bring it up to current code.”

“Self-help Enterprises has made this project so easy and stress free. We are grateful our friend told us about them,” smiles Ann. We highly recommend Self-help Enterprises to our friends. Our life has been totally blessed, our dreams and desires to have a safe home came to be. Thank you Self-Help Enterprises for all of your support. We shall be forever grateful.”

“We are happy that we were able to assist the Hill Family with their rehabilitation needs,” said Patty Garcia, Loan Processor’s for SHE’s Rehabilitation Program. “They were truly a joy to work with.”

Ann and John will move into their newly rehabilitated home this June.

Through partnerships with cities and counties in the San Joaquin Valley, Self-Help Enterprises’ Rehabilitation Program works with local community leaders to identify housing needs, secure funding, and successfully implement housing repairs for residents.

Deferred payment loans available to qualified homeowners for essential health and safety repairs typically include roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, foundation, windows, and handicap accessible modifications. There is no monthly payment. The loan is due and payable upon sale, change of title or change of use – such as change from owner occupied to renter occupied. Housing rehabilitation assistance can meet a critical need for homeowners who lack the funds to make necessary physical health and safety improvements to their homes.

To date, Self-Help Enterprises’ assistance to local communities has resulted in over 6,000  rehabilitated homes.

For more information about the Rehabilitation Program, call SHE at 559.651.1000.