Arizona Widow 'Adopted' by Her Neighbors After She Loses Husband, House on the Same Day

An Arizona widow with no family members to help her after she lost her husband and house on the same day was fortunate to have neighbors looking out for her welfare by "adopting" her into the family.

Gean LeVar lost her husband of 58 years in January 2021. When the police arrived to check up on her, they discovered that LeVar's actual living conditions were worse than they could imagine. It was so bad that the police didn't allow her to go back inside the house.

Homeless and still grieving the loss of the only companion she had been with for years, Gean didn't know where to seek help. Fortunately, her neighbor across the street, Carmen Silva, decided they would "adopt" the grandmother.

Per Inspire More, the Silva house had three bedrooms and eight kids, so they didn't have any more room for another family member. However, Silva said that taking LeVar to live with them was a no-brainer.

"I've always taught my kids to take care of their elders," the mother said.

Making space for grandma

At the Silva's, LeVar had a whole room to herself as some kids slept on the couch. The grandmother said that the gesture from her new family "means everything" to her.

However, the kindness extended to the widow didn't end with one family because a non-profit, Operation Enduring Gratitude, found out about her situation. As it turns out, LeVar's husband was a former U.S. Navy, and the organization helps rebuild houses for former service members.

Founded by Charlie Ellis, a contractor, Operation Enduring Gratitude was established in 2014 when he found out that many veterans needed assistance for their properties in disrepair.

Ellis raises funds and seeks volunteers to help with the renovation on social media. For LeVar's home, the project took more than 18 months to complete due to the availability of the resources, but Ellis had a lot of help from more than 200 volunteers, including businesses and professionals who gave supplies and rendered their services for the rebuild for free.

In late July 2022, LeVar was finally back at the same house she shared with her husband, per Glendale Star. Her modernized and refurbished home was fitted with new plumbing and electrical wiring, new floors and ceiling with insulation, a new bathroom and kitchen, and proper air conditioning.

Of course, the Silva family is welcome in her new home because they took good care of her when she had no one and nothing left.

Community helps elderly woman buy a car

Meanwhile, an elderly woman in North Bay, Canada, also witnessed the kindness of a community who is helping her buy a car after her old, reliable but rusty vehicle broke down. Miranda Leblanc saw a tow truck taking Florence's car in a parking lot because it had completely disintegrated.

Leblanc, who had never met the elderly woman before, told The Nugget that Florence (last name withheld) was crying because she didn't have any money for the tow truck. After helping her out, Leblanc realized she could do more and crowdfund a car for the 76-year-old.

The fundraiser's goal is to raise $2,000. So far, 23 have donated to raise $650 via GoFundMe within six days.