(I've bolded some of them below)
Steven Nava was up early, on his way to work as a welder, when he passed by the senior center. A man parked there was going through the trunk of his car, or rather, his home. He looked familiar. Later that day Steven realized the houseless man was "Mr. V," his former substitute teacher Jose Villarruel, whom he remembered as being especially nice to his students.
It took a few days for Steven to work up the courage, but he approached his former teacher and learned that Mr. V had decided to live in his car so he could send most of his income to his wife, children and extended family in Mexico. He'd been without housing for eight years, working all the while. The pandemic hit Villarruel especially hard, as remote learning cut the need for substitute teachers.
Steven immediately gave his former teacher all the money he had on him, which happened to be $300. "He gave me this big old smile and said, 'Thank you so much,'" Steven told CNN. "He came over to give me a hug and as he was hugging me, I saw a little tear run down his face."
But Steven wanted to do more, and he did. He raised $27,000 for Mr. V in a GoFund Me campaign, and presented the check to his teacher at a surprise party full of former students. It was Villarruel's 77th birthday.
"He helped us with our futures and being the person we are today," Steven said, "so I wanted to help him and make sure he's in a situation where he doesn't have to worry anymore." It worked. Mr. V now has temporary housing while long-term housing is being arranged.
"Teachers play a huge part in our lives," Steven said. "I felt like I needed to repay the favor."
(There's one more reason I love this story. As someone who worked as a substitute teacher for awhile, I can tell you it's a tough job, and I suspect few substitute teachers garner the love and respect that Mr. V received from his students.)
Comments