Visiting Angels started more than 25 years ago in Pennsylvania as a small, locally focused agency, providing care in home settings. Today, the network includes hundreds of agencies, but proudly remains a local brand. Each Visiting Angels office is independently owned and operated by an individual with deep roots in the local community— allowing for personalized in-home care services for every client and their families.
“Both Lee and I come from rich military backgrounds,” Letty said. “Lee served 38 years and I served 37 years in uniform and federal civilian service combined in the United States Air Force. The military emphasizes teamwork, collaboration and taking care of others. When we were looking at transitioning from our military careers, we said, ‘We're too young to retire, we need to continue giving back to the community.’”
In their search to fulfill their calling, Lee and Letty came across Visiting Angels and decided to open an office in the middle of their military community.
“Because of Visiting Angels, we're not just helping people, we're changing people's lives, Letty said.”
Most recently, Lee and Letty were able to help a local veteran family, the Neumayrs, after a gas leak rendered their home unsafe. One of the Visiting Angels caregivers, Terry Martinez, was the one to identify the problem and quickly call for help.
The Neumayr family became displaced and needed assistance securing temporary lodging, and that’s when Lee and Letty jumped into action. They connected with the local Veteran Affairs social worker team, Operation Triage and the San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families — organizations who are dedicated to helping veterans in need.
The Operation Triage President, Daniel Vargas, went with Lee to look at the Neumayr’s house the very day of being told about the incident and without hesitation Daniel took on the project to repair the home. Daniel led fundraising efforts and started contacting different companies and organizations to solicit their support.
“Our office along the way also helped fundraise through the Visiting Angels Foundation who graciously contributed thousands of dollars to the project,” Letty said.
In all, approximately $60,000 dollars was raised to help the family with extensive home repairs which included foundation, plumbing and gas line repairs.
“Seeing the community come together to help a veteran in need was extremely heartfelt,” Letty said. “We cannot express enough gratitude to the agencies, companies and individuals listed below for contributing their time, skills and/or money to help a veteran in need.”
Recognizing support
- Jon Wayne Service Company
- Murray Service Company
- Allen-Wrench Handyman & Renovations
- City of San Antonio Neighborhood Housing Services Department
- Mr. Daniel Vargas, President of Operation Triage
- Mr. Toney Fuentes, Director, SA Coalition for Veterans and Families
- Ms. Terry Martinez and Ms. Yolanda Chavez, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) from Visiting Angels of NE San Antonio
- Ms. Paige Rios, LCSW, Social Worker from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- Later this year, Lee and Letty will be moving their Visiting Angels office from the Live Oak area a couple of miles down the road to Windcrest, where the larger facility will provide a designated training room for its caregivers to enhance their skills.
On a voluntary basis, Letty and Lee help eligible senior veterans get enrolled in the VA Health Care System so they can tap into their benefits during their time of need. Lee frequently drives veterans to different VA clinics to verify their eligibility and get them enrolled if otherwise eligible.
“We don’t believe in simply passing out brochures or referring senior veterans to a VA website,” Letty said. “As veterans, we feel it’s our duty to step in and help senior veterans who may not have family nearby to help them navigate through a VA process they may perceive as complex.
Letty said the VA offers incredible programs related to geriatrics and long-term care, though many military families don’t know about these programs. The Visiting Angels of NE SA team, is helping promote the ChooseVA campaign which was developed in part to inform and demonstrate to veterans and their families the foundational services the VA provides.
Visiting Angels of Northeast San Antonio is currently located at 12602 Toepperwein Rd, Ste. 210, Live Oak. Those looking for more information about compassionate home care services or caregiver job opportunities at the Live Oak location can call 210-951-0702. For general questions or to provide helpful feedback regarding your local Visiting Angels, please email [email protected].
The above story was produced by Summer El-Shahawy with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.