GLENDALE, Ariz. — Raul Acosta and his six siblings were able to save their Glendale childhood home thanks to the outpouring of support from strangers.
Since 18 years old, Acosta has been the sole provider for his brothers and sister after his mother and the father of his siblings passed away.
At the end of April, the now 26-year-old was behind on mortgage payments and since Acosta is not on the loan, the bank was planning on foreclosing on the home if $13,728.40 were not paid by May 6.
“We are hoping to save it and fix it up,” Acosta said on April 27th, when 12 News spoke with him. “A lot of the kids were born and grew up here.”
After 12 News shared their struggles, thousands of strangers from all over the country stepped in and donated. The siblings raised enough money to pay what was due and get back on their feet.
“Not just me, but the kids as well, we all appreciate it,” Acosta said Friday. “I was literally getting no sleep at all prior to this, and it was because I was so stressed out because I was trying to come up with a solution and I’m only one person, can do so much with the hand that I was dealt.”
From the thousands of dollars raised, Acosta was able to pay for his two oldest siblings’ braces and buy a reliable family car.
“All those people that donated, they have changed this family’s world,” Sandra Creta said. “We want to keep going until we make sure they got a safe place to live.”
Creta, and other pro-bono attorneys, are now working on getting the home in the second to oldest siblings’ name.
“With the help of another attorney, Danielle Graham, she opened probate and one of the children who are 18, not Raul, is going to take over, they will be the personal representative of the estate,” Creta said. “We are working to correct the issues with the title so that there is somebody who actually has authority to discuss things like COVID relief or making an insurance claim.”
The next hurdle is to get the home fixed. Repairs need to be done in the kitchen’s cabinets, celling, walls with water damage, patio roof, pool, balcony, and back fence wall are among the items visible Acosta pointed out.
An inspector will review the home on Saturday and get a detailed estimate of the things that need to be fixed.
Creta said Home Depot agreed to supply new appliances and all the materials needed for the repairs, along with the labor work.
“It’s a nice home now, but it could be better, and it will be with the help of everybody,” Acosta said. “I’m thankful for all the kind words and I don’t mind doing what I’m doing as long as we all get to stay together as a family.”
If you’d like to help the siblings, you can donate through their GoFundMe page.
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