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Ana Gutierrez has always loved living in her home in South Tucson. She shares the home with her husband and son, and they even raise a few chickens in their backyard. But last winter, her roof started leaking and needed repairs. Her husband needed foot surgery around the same time, which meant they could not afford to fix the roof and pay his medical bills. That’s when she decided to apply for Habitat Tucson’s Critical Home Repair Program. She was so excited when she was accepted!

After a brief inspection, it was clear she needed help with more than just her roof. Her family had been living without AC for a while and Tucson summers were particularly brutal. She says, “The AC will make a huge difference, especially during
the summers.” The Habitat volunteers replaced her swamp cooler with a proper AC unit, but the work didn’t stop there.

Ana suffered a severe stroke back in 2015 and since has had trouble with stability. She is extra careful when walking around the house. So Habitat volunteers installed handrails and a new walk-in shower, so she wouldn’t have to worry
about stumbling over a tub. Ana says that she is always careful when getting into the shower, but it is much safer and
more accessible now.

The Habitat crew also replaced her electrical system and with the help of TEP, allowed her to install solar panels. This not only helped their electric bill decrease exponentially but they are excited to use clean energy

And as a final touch, multiple A Brush With Kindness volunteers came out to paint her home. It was an amazing internal and external transformation. Ana’s house felt brand new with all of the new additions and she was so grateful for the volunteers that came out and helped paint her house.

“It is such a blessing!” she says. With these new updates, she can go about her normal routine without any fear of danger. And she and her loved ones can age safely in place.