A Dem Congressman Quietly Helped Save This 100-Year-Old Woman From Homelessness


Evelyn Heller was in a really tight spot just a few weeks ago. Stricken with poverty, she was evicted from her apartment in Palm Desert, CA and on the verge of homelessness. Oh, did we mention she’s 100 years old? After hearing the terrible story, The Desert Sun, a local paper, picked up the story and ran with it.

From left: Rep. Raul Ruiz, wife Monica, Evelyn Heller, and Tony Robbins pose for a picture at Heller's new home on Friday, April 22, 2016.  Gabby Ferreira/The Desert Sun
From left: Rep. Raul Ruiz, wife Monica, Evelyn Heller, and Tony Robbins pose for a picture at Heller’s new home on Friday, April 22, 2016. Gabby Ferreira/The Desert Sun

After seeing the story, philanthropist Tony Robbins and Democratic Congressman Raul Ruiz decided to put together a plan to help get her back into a home.

Robbins donated $24,000 to help her with the cost of her new home, and Ruiz’s office personally helped her look for a new apartment. They successfully found a nice little place in La Quinta, which Heller has been happily moved into.

On Friday, Robbins and Ruiz paid a visit to the now extremely happy Heller in her new home. She said:

“I don’t know how anyone my age can have a bigger day than today. I just don’t know how. I don’t think I’ve talked this much in five years.”

From left: Rep. Raul Ruiz, wife Monica, Evelyn Heller, and Tony Robbins pose for a picture at Heller's new home on Friday, April 22, 2016.  Gabby Ferreira/The Desert Sun
From left: Rep. Raul Ruiz, wife Monica, Evelyn Heller, and Tony Robbins pose for a picture at Heller’s new home on Friday, April 22, 2016. Gabby Ferreira/The Desert Sun

Ruiz wanted to reassure her that a lot of people were going to be looking after her. Heller, who can barely see or hear, still has some life left in her. She joked, “Well, you can watch me all you want, if you can stand it.”

Robbins’ charity is going even further, stating they would try to buy her a new TV, which Ruiz would personally aid with installation. She was also invited to one of Robbins’ seminars in October. Ruiz said of the incident:

“I think our seniors are struggling. Their social security isn’t going far enough. Some of them don’t have family or friends. And it breaks my heart.”

Stories like this are so touching because it’s two people coming together not for publicity, but just to help out a senior citizen in need. Our seniors took care of us when we were children, and we need to make sure we can take care of them as well.

Check out this video below done by USA Today, and check out the video of the visit on The Desert Sun website.

https://youtu.be/J_5CBInI96o

Nick Bartholomew is a writer, editor, and an LLA (Liberal Living Abroad) based in Osaka, Japan. While he spends his time enjoying Japanese culture, he still does his civic duty by following US politics closely. He also blogs about gaming and technology on his website Ctrl-Alt Awesome.