When Joseph returned from Vietnam, the job he had started at Texaco as a young 19-year-old kid was still waiting for him. He ended up working there for 35 years before his retirement, raising three children with his first wife, then three more with his second.

He kept his six kids close, spending as much time as possible with them, playing softball and going fishing. “I just always gave them my full attention,” he said. “I just loved being with them, and I think I came to appreciate the little moments even more than I would have.”

So, after Joseph fell and broke his hip recently, his kids were there to help him. He needed surgery to place a rod in his hip, and he still has a slight limp. But the worst part has been trying to swing his leg over the side of the tub to take a bath.

He also needed some repairs done on his roof to prevent mold and other damage, and neither of those things was covered by the VA. So Joseph’s son – a contractor who partnered with Chive Charities on a similar project for a different recipient – encouraged him to apply for a grant.

With the support of our donor community – a group of people who are experts in seeing the value of helping others – we were able to fund those critical roof repairs and the installation of a new walk-in tub and accessible bathroom for Joseph. The total impact: $21,628.

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