A Dry Home

A DRY HOME

Our First Roofing Project in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

When Juan Ignacio Capilla, 79, first met All Hands and Hearts Co-Founder Petra Nemcova and philanthropist Frank Giustra, he had one plea: help him fix his wind-torn roof. Not for himself, but for Francisca, his 93 year-old mother. After Hurricane Maria, Juan—a retired carpenter of 40 years—managed to fix his roof enough to create a livable environment for the two of them; however, the leaking was a constant hindrance on everyday life, and the one thing Juan needed to get him and his mother back to normal. Our very first roofing project in Barranquitas was for Juan and Francisca.

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Volunteers arrived early in the morning and were promptly greeted by Juan, Francisca and Juan’s granddaughter, Javi. Over the next two days, the family and neighbors watched, laughed and talked with them.

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Agradecido, spanish for grateful, was a word heard often—Granddaughter Javi liked to remind the volunteers, “My grandmother is waiting for her dry home. We’re all so grateful for you.”

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At the end of day two, Juan was able to bring Francisca to see their new roof and greet the volunteers. Through tears, she asked to meet each volunteer and thank them individually, giving them kisses and blessings. The process from initial assessment of their needs to completing a new roof took two weeks.