"DO GOOD"- Help our Friend Marvin
Donation protected
OH THE IRONY OF THIS PICTURE-
But first, let me give you the back story.
Marvin Aguilar is the the foreman for a ceramic tile company working on a High School project in Salt Lake City. That is how I met him. He is a humble, honest, hard working guy with a quick smile. Like most work relationships, maybe especially in a construction environment, I wouldn't have expected to know much more than that. But Marvin has a personality and a sincerity about him that makes people want to know a little more. So I have asked questions and gotten to know him. I know he has faith in Jesus Christ, and is committed to his religion. I know that he is a family man with a wife and three young kids. I know that before becoming a tile setter, he was a commercial aircraft pilot. That work kept him away from his growing family though, so he quit doing that although he still enjoys flying, and began setting tile about five or six years ago. He is good at what he does. He says he loves it. He certainly takes pride in his work.
A few months ago, Marvin was the first person on our jobsite to contract Covid-19. He is a healthy guy and we were all surprised that it hit him so hard. Two weeks after his positive test, Marvin began having severe chest pains and was admitted to the ICU with blood clots in his lungs. It was painful, and he spent a week there. It was a scary time as doctors told him that he could have a fatal heart attack at any second. But he recovered. He got strong, and after about three weeks was able to come back to work. I just learned that Marvin does not have insurance to cover those medical bills, totaling about $58k. He has tried to get assistance, but so far with no luck.
One day about three weeks ago I casually asked Marvin "how's it going?" Always expecting a cheery response, I was shocked to hear him say "not too good." After some prodding, he explained with a heavy countenance what had happened. Marvin left his house early in the morning in his white '94 work van when he realized some road noise coming from the back where his tools were stored. He looked back, and to his horror, someone had smashed his back window in the middle of the night and stolen all of his tools. They stole his livelihood. It is common that workers provide their own tools, and Marvin had about $4,000 worth in the back of his van. He had scraped and sacrificed for years to get them. He had locked them where he thought they'd be safe. Now, on top of everything else, he is faced with trying to find enough side work to buy new tools, as well as continue to provide for his family, and pay medical bills- all while using borrowed tools.
The picture is the smashed glass that Marvin found in front of his house upon returning home to tell his wife the bad news. The "DO GOOD" sticker still visible, is a perfect representation of who Marvin is.
Please give what you can. He doesn't know about this.
But first, let me give you the back story.
Marvin Aguilar is the the foreman for a ceramic tile company working on a High School project in Salt Lake City. That is how I met him. He is a humble, honest, hard working guy with a quick smile. Like most work relationships, maybe especially in a construction environment, I wouldn't have expected to know much more than that. But Marvin has a personality and a sincerity about him that makes people want to know a little more. So I have asked questions and gotten to know him. I know he has faith in Jesus Christ, and is committed to his religion. I know that he is a family man with a wife and three young kids. I know that before becoming a tile setter, he was a commercial aircraft pilot. That work kept him away from his growing family though, so he quit doing that although he still enjoys flying, and began setting tile about five or six years ago. He is good at what he does. He says he loves it. He certainly takes pride in his work.
A few months ago, Marvin was the first person on our jobsite to contract Covid-19. He is a healthy guy and we were all surprised that it hit him so hard. Two weeks after his positive test, Marvin began having severe chest pains and was admitted to the ICU with blood clots in his lungs. It was painful, and he spent a week there. It was a scary time as doctors told him that he could have a fatal heart attack at any second. But he recovered. He got strong, and after about three weeks was able to come back to work. I just learned that Marvin does not have insurance to cover those medical bills, totaling about $58k. He has tried to get assistance, but so far with no luck.
One day about three weeks ago I casually asked Marvin "how's it going?" Always expecting a cheery response, I was shocked to hear him say "not too good." After some prodding, he explained with a heavy countenance what had happened. Marvin left his house early in the morning in his white '94 work van when he realized some road noise coming from the back where his tools were stored. He looked back, and to his horror, someone had smashed his back window in the middle of the night and stolen all of his tools. They stole his livelihood. It is common that workers provide their own tools, and Marvin had about $4,000 worth in the back of his van. He had scraped and sacrificed for years to get them. He had locked them where he thought they'd be safe. Now, on top of everything else, he is faced with trying to find enough side work to buy new tools, as well as continue to provide for his family, and pay medical bills- all while using borrowed tools.
The picture is the smashed glass that Marvin found in front of his house upon returning home to tell his wife the bad news. The "DO GOOD" sticker still visible, is a perfect representation of who Marvin is.
Please give what you can. He doesn't know about this.
Organizer
Scott Bryner
Organizer
Layton, UT
