Volunteers help Torreses make room for new home

Several volunteers pitched in Saturday to help a Carson City family displaced by a fire earlier this month make way for their new home.

Co-workers of mother Brenda Torres and several young elders from the Mormon Church tore down a two-room addition to the damaged single-wide and removed debris, so the unit can be removed and replaced.

"If we can have this ready, they will take the old one out Monday and put the new one in," said father Francisco Torres as the volunteers stripped roofing and knocked two-by-fours from the tiny addition that had served as two children's bedrooms. "I think we can be living here in a week."

After hearing news reports about how the couple; their children Javier, 5, and Chantel, 2; and Brenda's sister Idalia lost their home to fire, water and smoke damage Nov. 6, mobile home dealerships in Carson City and Reno offered to donate trade-in units to the family. The Torreses chose the largest unit, offered by Craftsman Homes in Reno.

"I contacted Francisco through his employer and they came up and looked at three units I offered them," Craftsman president and owner Leo Poggione said Saturday. "They picked a three-bedroom, two-bath, double-section unit - it's a bit over a thousand square feet."

He said "Cowboy" Jim Snelling of Silver Springs Housing Specialists will donate his services to set up the replacement until the family's space in the Clear Creek Trailer Park.

Snelling arranged to have Eldorado Transport of Reno bring down the new unit and take the old unit taken to a disposal site and install the new one.

But first, the addition had to come off and debris left from the fire had to be removed. that's where the volunteers came in.

Brian Percival looked pretty comfortable Saturday morning balancing on a narrow wall as he used a roofer's hatchet to bust loose studs to remove the addition. Percival recently became Carson City Justice of the Peace John Tatro's court bailiff, but he said he worked construction quite a bit during college to pay his way.

He and another volunteer, court intake officer Matt Fisk, are co-workers of Brenda's at the courthouse, Percival said.

Also pitching in were elders Woodhouse, Griffin, Gardner and Madden from the Mormon Church. Elder Madden explained that they do not use their first names. Torres family friend William Ramirez joined in as well.

Poggione said the only major item lacking was carpeting for the replacement unit. He said anyone who could donate carpeting for the Torres home can call him at 853-3004.