A CALL FOR HELP: Falone Family Fund

Hello. Thank you for visiting our fundraiser and considering donating to help our family. My name is Vanessa Calderon Falone, and my husband is Greg Falone. We have been living in the San Dimas/Covina area for the last 40 years. We are the current owners of Spencer Service Appliance Repair, Inc. Greg started working for Spencer Service 26 years ago, where his father had been working for a couple decades already. His mother worked there as a backup receptionist from time to time since Spencer Service had been open since 1978.

In 2012, Spencer retired and the Falone family members that had been employed by Spencer bought Spencer Service to continue their same great service and care they had been providing for many years. Greg, his father, and his mother continued with Spencer Service Appliance Repair, Inc. Over the years, Spencer Service Appliance Repair, Inc., and the Falone’s have had many blessings and used their blessing to help others in their church and in the local communities. However, they suffered some great losses as well. The loss of a great pillar in their family, Greg’s mother. His father having double carpal tunnel surgery on his hands, so he had to retire. And of course, everyone’s problem at the time, COVID.

However, Greg stood tall and tried his best provide for his family and barreled through because “that’s what men are supposed to do”. He was the only technician trying to provide for everyone. With no education in business and with his ADHD that kept him from learning the business side all these years, he tried to keep everything together. That’s when I came into the business in 2022 and started managing the office and utilized the community of friends, family, neighbors, rescuers, LFL stewards and former employers & colleagues to help Greg with his family business.

As a fulltime stay at home mom for our children, dog rescuer & foster family, mental health advocate and starting my own 2 businesses, I became partner and focused on Spencer Service Appliance Repair. As someone who has a BA in Entrepreneurship & Business Management and minor in marketing development, I was a great asset and Greg thought everything would get better but now he was working more than ever to catch up. That was the first year. As his wife, I felt like his mental health was rapidly decreasing. His memory. His anger, that he never had before. His Anxiety of being able to provide. Staying up all hours and forcing himself through the day. No selfcare and still just pushing through. He was going through major events and was not slowing down to do any grieving. Having had suffered recent breakdowns myself after working on my mental health for 20 years, I was seeing all the signs. He was trying so hard to catch up and do everything himself. We agreed to separate romantically because the fighting was getting worse. That’s when the drinking got bad, but we were still business partners and coparenting, which was working but he was just having a hard time with daily life. It was so hard to watch my husband be someone I didn’t know anymore.

One day, he went missing. I was scared. We knew he was having a mental breakdown & our friends helped me track him down and get him safe. Since then, he has committed to enrolling in a minimum 30-day program. He has his referral and enrollment is this coming Wednesday. He’s hoping they find a bed by December 7th. His family has been notified and are super supportive of Greg’s decision to put himself first. Greg is a good man, a great father, and the best friend. He also raised my oldest son as his own without hesitation. Greg is even a great husband when he is mentally healthy. He just needs the tools which he will get in this program. I just want my children to have a healthy father to be around for a very long time. I know he can do it. Mental health like this is extremely important to get help for but men feel like it will make them look weak. Unfortunately, most men go through this in their lives but suffer in silence. I am extremely proud of him for making and following through with his decision. I am also, extremely grateful and love how many men have reached out to him to validate that they have been there too.

For all intents and purposes, we are still legally married & sharing a home with our children but live in separate parts of the house. Separate homes were not financially feasible during the time of separation, and we wanted as little as possible to change for the children. He won’t be home for Christmas but at this point I’m just not worried about Christmas help. I have a fake tree & our children are blessed with a community of family and friends that will make sure they have a good Christmas. I have food taken care of. I just need to pay bills. The back rent is due tomorrow for us to stay in our home this month. It’s 3390 & I have made and sent them 1150. I also must register my car that’s under Greg’s name still and with fees we owe about 900. Next month I need to raise money to keep our business medical insurance which is 2850 which includes what we owe in back payments. Without that we won’t have our own mental health support and medications that I have setup for me, and the kids and Greg won’t have the program he has already started. Our rent including late fee for December is 3400. That’s not including phones, utilities, etc. but I’ll worry about that for that when it gets closer next month.

I’m currently working odd jobs locally for money, while looking for fulltime work and caregiving our children. If anyone, has any mobile work I can help you all out with I am open to anything. I am very good with phones & customer service or scheduling. I created all our current online marketing campaigns and all our graphic design art for ads. Including our website (GoDaddy), google profile (Posting & SEO without paying for ads or google), social media accounts (posting & syncing for easier use for owner). We are selling off working antique refrigerators, extra parts, and have some non-working antique appliances that are just for show.

Thank you again, for coming by to hear our story and donate. If you cannot donate money please share and send prayers, good thoughts, and good vibes our way. May God bless everyone this Holiday season.

The Falone Family