Rockingham, NC Family Builds Home for Honduran Boy

People told me that when I spoke to them about it, they could sense my passion, and they wanted to be a part of it. More than anything, I just wanted to make sure that as Gerardo got out of school he wouldn’t have rent to worry about as he decided what to do to make a living. Honduras is the second poorest country in this hemisphere; the poverty there has rarely been seen here in this country...

By Dawn Kurry
For many in our state of North Carolina, a blessing could come in the form of less bills, or home repairs. For one boy in Honduras, the blessing came in the form of electricity and running water in a home he could call his own. Kevin Grooms and Kelli Luce are brother and sister, and they grew up with their other two brothers in Rockingham, NC. More than 10 years ago, Grooms began sponsoring a Honduran boy named Gerardo Villalvir Rivera, through an organization called Children International in Kansas City, Missouri. “I asked my brother, ‘Do you really know where your money is going?’” said Luce when her brother told her about the commercial he had seen on TV that prompted him to make the commitment.

“When I began sponsoring Gerardo, they sent me an information packet with a picture of him after I saw a commercial asking if I’d like to consider helping,” Grooms said.

Grooms sent $22 a month to Children International. "That monthly contribution gets pooled with those of others, and helps the agency provide to the children annual medical check-ups, dental check-ups, nutritional education, help with clothing and school supplies, and in extreme cases, help with food purchases,” said Grooms.

“I had asked in the past what it might cost to build a house for Gerardo and his family, but I didn’t know how I’d raise the money at the time,” he said. “In 2007, when his stepfather had his own land, it would have cost $5,000 for a basic, rustic 2-bedroom home, but something they could call their own.

“After I went to visit him for the first time in January of 2010, his mom and stepfather had separated; he and his mom and his little half-brother were living in a one room home without a kitchen out in the country. Since the boys were going to school, his mom was working as a housekeeper, and they were paying the equivalent of US$37 (in rent). She made about US$125 a month -- a pretty big percentage of her earnings. I made up my mind that week that I wanted to revisit the idea of building him a home, especially since he had less than two more years in the program. Sponsored children ‘age out’ of the program at age 19,” Grooms said.

Grooms contacted the agency about raising funds to build a home for Rivera, who told him where to go from there.

“Since Children International is a nonprofit agency, they simply can’t manage all the fundraisers of different well-intentioned sponsors, so they use a third party called First Giving that sets up web pages for this purpose,” said Grooms. “I set mine that April, and the word slowly started getting out. I’m lucky in that I’ve made good friends with a lot of my clients at work with expendable income.”

The fundraiser took off, and continued to collect funds well after the end date.

“It was amazing. People told me that when I spoke to them about it, they could sense my passion, and they wanted to be a part of it. More than anything, I just wanted to make sure that as Gerardo got out of school he wouldn’t have rent to worry about as he decided what to do to make a living. Honduras is the second poorest country in this hemisphere; the poverty there has rarely been seen here in this country, I can assure you,” he said.

Because Grooms was able to raise more than US$10,500 in five months, the construction of the home could include safety measures and more.

“They built a gate around the house and did bars on the windows for security, and he got a new bed, a living room suite, a refrigerator, and a gas range. He is actually living by himself; his younger half-brother went to live with his father, and his mom lives with her fiance. He had gotten behind in school, but had to eventually drop out in order to pay for his living expenses and such.”

“We’re very proud of (Rivera),” said Luce. “For that area, his house is a little mansion. It’s a beautiful little bungalow. He’s working and taking care of himself. He’s got a lot more than people in his country have. He’s not greedy. He’s so appreciative. I saw he didn’t have socks, so I brought him some new Nike socks. That child sat and cried. He said, ‘Aunt Kelli, no.” I gave him a Cabella jacket and he said the other kids are going to be so jealous.”

Luce said the trip to Honduras was heartwarming, and full of tears. On the way to the airport, Rivera clung to Grooms, sad to see him go.

“You’re the daddy I never had,” said Rivera to Grooms.

“Even the taxi driver was crying,” said Luce.

Luce and Grooms consider Rivera part of their family, and include his name in all family traditions.

Grooms is in the process of beginning a new sponsorship with a child named Christian José, who lives with his grandmother near the Mayan ruins in Copán. When Luce and Grooms went to meet them, they took them shopping for necessities like toothbrushes. Luce said the two were amazed at the things the Americans wanted to buy them. Luce said she bought dress shirts for Jose’s grandmother to wear to church, who didn’t know what to think of the generosity, and refused in the beginning.

“This is something my heart desires to do,” said Luce to the grandmother.

“We spend more money on pop and candy than these kids do in a lifetime,” said Luce. “It was an awesome trip. I didn’t have to have a camera -- my heart will never forget what I’ve seen.”

Note: This article was reprinted with permission of the author. It was originally published in the Richmond County Daily Journal in North Carolina.