Volunteers Give Disabled Man’s Home a Face Lift

With tears in his eyes, Joey Ronquillo walked through his family’s newly redecorated den Sunday past a crowd of news reporters to Los Angeles Police Officer Joel Price--and hugged him.

“You guys are so nice,” said a surprised Ronquillo, who returned from an excursion to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm to find his once-ramshackle, two-bedroom home had been renovated from top to bottom over five feverish days by a crew of 100 volunteers.

The work began Wednesday after Ronquillo, who is mentally retarded, left with his mother and grandmother on the theme park tour and continued almost nonstop until he returned Sunday afternoon.

Workers included officers from the LAPD’s West Valley Division, where Ronquillo, 28, volunteers, as well as employees of Home Depot and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick’s field office.

The house that once sported old carpet and stains on the wall and had its small back yard hidden by weeds and trash is now painted crisp “cool blue” and “Navaho white,” with new carpet, bathroom tiles, vertical blinds and even a new kitchen sink.

In addition, a new front lawn was laid down and framed with daisies, agapanthus and jasmine flowers to replace the clumps of crabgrass and a broken-down porch gate.

“I never thought it would get to this point,” said Price, who coordinated the project. “Our original plan was to cut down some bushes and maybe do some more yardwork. But, things just escalated from there.”

Since Ronquillo first received attention in April for pursuing his dream to become a police officer by volunteering for five years at the West Valley Division, the community has rallied around him.

When his bicycle was stolen in May after he left it outside a store while buying flowers for his mother, West Valley officers offered to chip in to buy a replacement. Instead, a local bike store owner, who had himself become familiar with the always cheerful Ronquillo, donated one of his own bicycles.

Then, after Chick notified Home Depot President Harry Pierce of the station’s plans to redecorate, Pierce sent $10,000 and a team of professionals to make sure the project was done right. Also, Ronquillo was given a job watering nursery plants at a Home Depot in Canoga Park.

Finally, to help clear the way for the redecorating project, the Ronquillos were sent on a mini-vacation to the two Orange County amusement parks--compliments of the West Valley officers.

Before the weekend was out, a practically new home stood ready to welcome their return. Driving up their quiet street toward the team of volunteers working on some final touches, the Ronquillos looked at their new home in awe.

“Oh my God. I didn’t even recognize it,” said Ronquillo’s mother, Leslie Ronquillo.

“Whoa!” Ronquillo added. “Yeah, it’s all right!”

Touring the home with a flock of reporters and cameramen following closely behind, the Ronquillos oohed and aahed over every new detail pointed out to them by the proud volunteer workers.

“It’s hot in here,” Ronquillo said at one point, reaching for the air conditioner switch.

Hearing a familiar rattle emanate from the vent directly above him, he turned and quipped: “Whoops. That’s still the same.”