Meet our Neighbors
Mr. and Ms. S, Iveywood
She first spotted him in the van on the way to a church picnic in San Francisco. They were a year apart in school, and she was immediately struck by how watchful and caring he was with his niece, who was with him. By the beginning of high school were headed towards going steady, but he wasn't much of a talker, and she broke it off with him because he was "too boring." They remained friends through high school, and every birthday and holiday he would send her huge, beautiful cards. They bumped into each other every now and again at San Francisco State University, but he had to drop out to care for his mother. Some years passed, and one Saturday during choir practice he showed up and sat in the back to listen. They got to talking and she invited him to come by the house and play checkers or dominoes in her parents' living room. In a few weeks, he asked her out on a date to the Rickshaw club. As with their first meeting in the van years before, she noticed how thoughtful he was, opening doors for her, positioning himself between her and the curb as they walked down the street, and holding her elbow when she stepped down. He nicknamed her "Princess," and even after all these years, that's still what he calls her.
In 1976, the newlywed Mr. and Ms. S moved into a home in the Iveywood neighborhood, where they raised four children. Their kids are spread out around the country now, except for their daughter, who lives with them. Their parents, who are in their 80s and 90s, still live nearby, as do many of their siblings and in-laws. Their whole family helps each other out, and they have a regular schedule worked out between them to share caretaking.
Ms. S is a dedicated, lifelong educator. She worked in a special needs classroom and says, "For 12 years I had the opportunity to love on these kids who would come in with such anger…I would call them Scholars, and when they would brag about throwing chairs and hitting teachers in their old schools, I'd say, 'In this place, that's not how we do things. In this community we learn new ways to respond.'" She would teach them how to talk through their problems and use their minds, because "physical violence is easy; cats and dogs can do that." Over time she saw real change in her students as they learned to approach the challenges in their lives in more productive ways. It was hard work, and she wanted to pass on what she learned to other teachers while she still had the energy. She enrolled in a doctorate program, and is now observing and teaching student teachers at a local university. It is clear from talking to her even briefly; she is a master teacher.
Mr. S was the youth director at their church, where he taught, ran the staff, and organized summer basketball tournaments and field trips. He started working at the Commissary store on the Hamilton Air Force base when he was 17, and has helped to support his family all his life. He went through electrical training, and worked as an electrician. But his job required working on ladders, and when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, his employers decided no longer take the risk of employing him. He worked for a while delivering documents and blueprints on construction sites, but his MS was increasingly affecting his mobility, and he started using a cane, then a walker, then a wheelchair to get around. He spends time each day now reading the Bible and doing research on the computer. He loves watching sports and survival TV shows, and likes to sit by the front door so that he can say hi to all the neighbors and the mailman.
Ms. S takes care of her husband full-time, and their neighbors and church friends are often around to help out. Rebuilding Together Oakland and our sponsors focused on making the house and yard accessible and safe for Mr. S, and doing repairs, clean-up and painting, to make the home more comfortable for both of them. Ms. S says the thing that struck her the most about the volunteers is that they make decisions with the same care and attention they would put into their own homes, and understand the importance of both making the home more safe and making it a more pleasant place to live. Mr. and Ms. S are the kindest people you could ever hope to meet, and are beloved by friends, neighbors, and volunteers alike!
In 1976, the newlywed Mr. and Ms. S moved into a home in the Iveywood neighborhood, where they raised four children. Their kids are spread out around the country now, except for their daughter, who lives with them. Their parents, who are in their 80s and 90s, still live nearby, as do many of their siblings and in-laws. Their whole family helps each other out, and they have a regular schedule worked out between them to share caretaking.
Ms. S is a dedicated, lifelong educator. She worked in a special needs classroom and says, "For 12 years I had the opportunity to love on these kids who would come in with such anger…I would call them Scholars, and when they would brag about throwing chairs and hitting teachers in their old schools, I'd say, 'In this place, that's not how we do things. In this community we learn new ways to respond.'" She would teach them how to talk through their problems and use their minds, because "physical violence is easy; cats and dogs can do that." Over time she saw real change in her students as they learned to approach the challenges in their lives in more productive ways. It was hard work, and she wanted to pass on what she learned to other teachers while she still had the energy. She enrolled in a doctorate program, and is now observing and teaching student teachers at a local university. It is clear from talking to her even briefly; she is a master teacher.
Mr. S was the youth director at their church, where he taught, ran the staff, and organized summer basketball tournaments and field trips. He started working at the Commissary store on the Hamilton Air Force base when he was 17, and has helped to support his family all his life. He went through electrical training, and worked as an electrician. But his job required working on ladders, and when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, his employers decided no longer take the risk of employing him. He worked for a while delivering documents and blueprints on construction sites, but his MS was increasingly affecting his mobility, and he started using a cane, then a walker, then a wheelchair to get around. He spends time each day now reading the Bible and doing research on the computer. He loves watching sports and survival TV shows, and likes to sit by the front door so that he can say hi to all the neighbors and the mailman.
Ms. S takes care of her husband full-time, and their neighbors and church friends are often around to help out. Rebuilding Together Oakland and our sponsors focused on making the house and yard accessible and safe for Mr. S, and doing repairs, clean-up and painting, to make the home more comfortable for both of them. Ms. S says the thing that struck her the most about the volunteers is that they make decisions with the same care and attention they would put into their own homes, and understand the importance of both making the home more safe and making it a more pleasant place to live. Mr. and Ms. S are the kindest people you could ever hope to meet, and are beloved by friends, neighbors, and volunteers alike!