DENVER – Delilah and Michael Sanchez are parents of six children, ranging in age from 4 to 16 years old. Like a lot of big families, they have run into hard times. But things recently reached another level.
According to Delilah, her family moved in May when their kids got out of school for summer break.
“We tried to find a rental in Johnstown because that’s where we wanted to stay where my daughters were already established,” Delilah said. “During summer, we went camping at different lakes and in the mountains. Since we did not have a home, I thought it was just going to be a summer thing, thinking some rentals would come up or be available. But it’s a small town, so it was hard to find something.”
According to Delilah, her family left Johnstown after not finding any place to live and moved to Denver for a new start and to find a new job for her husband.
In the meantime, the Sanchez had no place to live while they are in Denver.
“We have been sleeping in our van,” Delilah said. “We have been in about 50 hotel rooms and used our savings, so our children didn’t have to stay in unsafe hotels. We have stayed in parking lots of fast food restaurants, as well as in hospital parking lots. I feel like a failure as well as my husband does. We work, but never can come up with enough money because it goes to gas because we drive a lot, and food for my kids for schools and hotels. I can’t even help fix my daughters teeth because their braces brackets broke. It’s just hard to know I can’t help my own children.”
The Sanchez finally caught a break when her husband was offered a job to help provide for his family.
But it’s still a challenge for them to get back on their feet and stay steady.
“I just feel like we got so far behind it’s hard for us to catch up,” Delilah said. “He has a great job now to help with everything, but we just can’t seem to catch up to everything. We have all these things we need to take care of, and we don’t have enough money for a deposit to get a place to live in.”
The Sanchez family reached out to Denver7, asking for the phone numbers for shelters to find a place to stay during the week of Thanksgiving.
However, Denver7 thought it could do more to help the family.
Denver7 called its friends at FLO 107.1 and JAMMIN 101.5 for its Christmas Wish campaign with Larry and Kathie J. The purpose of the Christmas Wish is to help those in need during the holiday season by utilizing their network of angels in the community.
FLO 107.1 and JAMMIN 101.5 were able to provide the family with a room for seven days at the DoubleTree Hilton DTC for lodging and breakfast to help during their time of looking for an apartment or house to rent.
The Christmas Wish campaign was also able to give the Sanchez family $1,500 toward a deposit for a place to live.
FLO 107.1 and JAMMIN 101.5 surprised the Sanchez family at Denver7 with the all the help they are providing as part of the Christmas Wish.
According to FLO 107.1 and JAMMIN 101.5, Smile High Dental Spa has agreed to take care of the daughter’s braces and more.
Autowash offered to do a full-service detail on their van.
Delilah was full of emotion, crying as her family knew they were going to be staying someplace warm and safe.
“We lost everything, I’m just glad we have each other,” Delilah said. “You know that’s all we have to do is pray that we’re healthy and that we have each other.”
If you would like to help out the Sanchez, you can do so bydonating here.