After being in foster care and living separately for 10 years, Mario, Juan and Jose's dream of finally living together as a family came true. But the foreclosed home they managed to buy needed lots of work before it would be a true home. As reporter Caroline Dipping described it in her Union Tribune article:

The lawn was dead. Windows were broken. Holes were punched in the walls and baseboards were missing. The toilets and sinks didn't work and roaches skittered about. But to 24-year-old Jose Robles, the dilapidated house he bought in July was a palace. It was worth all the money he had cobbled together from age 14 It was also the first place he could call "home" realizing his goal of providing a stable atmosphere for himself and his brothers, Juan, 22, and Mario, 26.

Figuring they would make the needed repairs as they went along, Robles hadn't counted on the legion of good Samaritans who stepped in.

San Diego Union Tribune, October 6, 2010

But with the help of generous volunteers, San Diego and the nation have seen a powerful example of what happens when a community becomes mobilized to support transitioning foster youth.

A Glasco - Barry Livengood www.aglasco.com Master shower door

Anderson Plumbing Heating and Air http://www.andersonplumbingheatingandair.com/ Water Heater, water pressure regulator and 2 new toilets .Installation of faucets, fixtures, toilets, etc.

AZ Countertops, Inc http://www.azcountertopsinc.com/index.php Granite Counter tops and installation

Behr Paint www.behr.com All interior paint

Bell Tile - Tom Bell Installation of tile throughout the home

BIA CARES- non-profit organization of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County http://www.biasandiego.org/biacares.php Refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, window blinds, faucets, sofa, area rug and dresser

DeCasas Garden Service - Cornelio DeCasas Gardening, Cleaning and checking and repairing the irrigation system

Design Squared, Inc-ArianaShuh, Principal www.dsquaredinteriors.com Design Consultation - Paint Colors, flooring choices, etc.

EDCO Recycling & Waste Collection Services www.edcodisposal.comConstruction dumpster

FDR CONSTRUCTION - Forrest Reardon, Owner www.fdrconstruction.com600 square feet of Ceramic Tile

Flooring Solutions - Tony Moreno Coordinating all flooring, measurements & orders, working with vendors, and scheduling.installing carpeting in bedrooms and office

Kaminskiy Construction - Sergei Kaminskiy www.kaminskiyinc.com Complete Kitchen cabinetry plus installation

Marble Works of San Diego - Charlene Butler www.marbleworkssandiego.com Cultured marble walls, installation of tub, walls, glass door

Miramar Kitchen and Bath - Nicole Donnelly www.miramarkitchenandbath.com Cast iron tub and glass door

Mission Carpet Distributors - Mike Finney (858) 278-9100 Flooring materials, consulting with other flooring representatives

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council www.unionyes.org Youth build labor for 2 months

Sleep Train www.sleeptrain.com Three mattress sets

Southbay Carpet Distributors - Fred Jasso (619) 425-0778 Special pricing on carpet for the bedrooms

Traffic Control Service, Inc. tcsi.biz Required barriers for construction dumpster

Veronica's Janitorial Service - Arturo Maldonado www.vjservices.com Construction clean up

V-R Builder - Victor Robles, Owner (619) 279-3270 Donated and installed interior doors and baseboards throughout the house

Plus JIT Volunteers Lynne Doyle, Rich Richison, Stephanie Fulton, Mike Shields, Tanya Williams and the many, many other generous people who made contributions big and small to make a dream come true for these three brothers. Click here for more about Just in Time for Foster Youth and how you can help launch a life!