September 2021
Angelina and Rosa, along with Rosa’s teenage son Matthew and his 3 rabbits, have been successfully sharing a home through HomeSharing for almost a year. Angelina is an 81-year old widow who has owned her home in Raritan for 45 years. Her extended family had been living with her for many years but moved out, freeing up 2 of the 3 bedrooms in her home and leaving her, a jovial woman and lover of people, with a quiet home and less income to maintain it. Angelina receives monthly Social Security and a small pension from her over four decade career as an electronic technician for RCA and Tyco.
Rosa and her son Matthew were living in a home in Raritan that was being sold as the homeowner was looking to profit from the strong housing market. Rosa, after emigrating from South America where she was studying to be a lawyer, has worked for a company cleaning offices for the last 10 years. She has limited English, and had little time to study to improve it as a single mom raising an autistic son and working long hours. She could not afford more than $900 for 2 rooms for herself, her son and his rabbits. She also needed to find housing that was not only affordable, but was also in the towns of Raritan or Bridgewater, so that Matthew could continue to attend Bridgewater-Raritan High School, where he participated in a special program for children with high functioning autism.
Rosa and her son reached out to HomeSharing, and after being screened with the assistance of a volunteer translator, were referred to Angelina. Angelina knew some Italian making it possible for her to communicate a bit with Rosa; also, she had an open heart, and love for people and animals that led her to embrace not only Rosa, but also Matthew and his 3 rabbits. Rosa and Matthew moved in just after Christmas. She pays a total of $850 monthly for the two private bedrooms, and for sharing Angelina’s entire home with her.
Over the past year, Rosa has been able to resume her English studies, and Angelina helps her by making sure to converse only in English,
so she gets a lot of practice and is seeing a big improvement. According to Rosa, Angelina has also been a “3rd grandma” to Matthew.
Matthew is excelling in school, and Angelina is enjoying having a full home and the security of knowing that she can cover her expenses.
To learn more about HomeSharing as a Provider, Seeker, Donor, or Volunteer, please contact us via:
Phone: 908-526-4663, and leave a message
Email: HomeSharing@verizon.net
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