ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — More than a year after an Adams County family was forced out of their home, volunteers and advocates have finished remodeling it, and the family now has a safe place to live.
Last July, Denver7 Gives told viewers about a family of 10 living in a motelafter their home was deemed unsafe by the Adams County Sheriff's Office. They were forced to separate and had three children staying with a family friend.
The family has eight developmentally disabled children, including one daughter, Selena, who is on dialysis after two kidney transplants.
"I don't think any mother should be separated from their kids," Bernadette Gines said at the time. "We need help."
Denver7 Gives viewers answered the call for help, donating enough money for a temporary apartment.
And that was just the beginning.
A crew from Rocky Mountain Biohazard went to work to clean up an old sewage leak, mold and years of deferred maintenance in the home the Gines family inherited.
Education advocate Dawn Stuart, who is helping get the family connected with services and support, said the Gines are loving parents who were too proud to accept help.
"This family fell through the cracks," Stuart said last year. "Hopefully, getting the children on Social Security will help the family take care of kids, pay bills, keep a roof over their head."
Stuart reached out to Chad Tedesco, an Adams County Commissioner who was a former foster child himself.
"I know what that's like," Tedesco said. "I didn't want other kids to have to go through that no matter the good, bad or ugly. It's always about the kids and keeping them together. We knew the cost would be pretty expensive. But compared to the cost to the taxpayers and the system. It's a drop in the bucket."
Tedesco said the family qualified for existing county programs to assist with some repairs and asbestos abatement, but he reached out to Jason Wardrip with the Colorado Building & Construction Trades Council to recruit and coordinate volunteers.
"We rebuilt this house from the studs," said Wardrip, who said the idea of eight children who needed a home motivated him for the last year. "Nobody ever wants to see a family separated. Kids are important to all of us and certainly important to me."
Wardrip recognized Todd VonLintel with U.S. Engineering Construction as the largest contributor to the project, donating approximately $100,000 in supplies and manpower.
"It is worth it to keep this family together. That's why it is 100% worth it — seeing this today," VonLintel said.
In the end, the project was much larger than anyone anticipated.
Volunteers coordinated and recruited by the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association worked to completely replace the home's electrical systems, rebuild the sub-floors, install new drywall and remodel the kitchen.
"It's way, much better," said Selena, whose room has an entryway large enough to allow for a hospital bed and her dialysis equipment. "I love it."
Denver7 Gives also gave the family a housewarming gift: A $200 Walmart gift card to help with moving expenses.
"Thank you for supporting us and making this happen for me and my kids," said Bernadette Gines, who planned to move in immediately. "My kids have a safe place now. Believe in your dreams."
If you would like to help, the Gines family has an Amazon wish list here to help furnish their new home.
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Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
