“I didn’t think anything good would happen again,” said a tearful, 12-year-old Julian Gray. Julian lives in Katy, Texas, where his 22-year-old brother, Jaylen, is raising him. The brothers were seeing their newly renovated home for the first time.
The Grays lost Julian’s father in 2014, when he died from a heart attack. In April of 2020, their mother succumbed to a rare kidney disease. Her dying request was for Jaylen to take care of his little brother. In response, Jaylen withdrew from his studies at Brinn College in Brenham, Texas, and returned to Katy, where began working at Katy Vehicle Inspection.
With the help of extended family, the two settled in to a routine. Then Hurricane Harvey hit and damaged their home. The following year, Winter Storm Uri caused the pipes to burst. Jaylen hired a contractor, who stole the money and disappeared without doing the work he was hired to do. This additional damage made the home uninhabitable, so the two moved in with their grandfather. He, too, passed away.
Joining with local organizations Katy Responds–which learned about the family through Jaylen’s employer–, Houston Responds, and Lakewood Church to renovate and furnish the Grays’ home, Somebody Cares America provided a new range for the kitchen. The Grays returned to their newly renovated and re-furnished home on August 22, 2022.
“Remembering how Somebody Cares funded supplied appliances appliances for seniors and families with medical challenges following Hurricane Harvey and the winter storm, Houston Responds reached out to us when they needed a range for the boys’ home,” explains SCA’s Vice President, Jodie Chiricosta. “Since they are orphans, we were more than happy to purchase it for them from the Widow and Orphan Fund.”
Working with partner organizations, the fund provides for the special needs of orphans along with the needs of widows who served alongside their husbands. The fund is supported primarily through listeners of Jodie’s podcast titled, “Her God Story,” which highlights the stories of ordinary women who are doing extraordinary things for God.
“We encourage our listeners to become part of a company of women supporting widows and orphans,” Jodie says. “Together, we can meet many needs.”
CLICK HERE to learn more about the “Her God Story” podcast or to make a donation.
Thank you for caring!