Fresno police partner with nonprofits to remodel kid's rooms

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Piece by piece, Fresno police officers assembled new furniture outside an east central home on Tuesday.

They spent the day putting in sweat equity to transform the rooms of four children who live here. Two of them moved in with their aunt and uncle after their mother died suddenly nine years ago.

"They needed us. They needed a home to come to. They needed a room. So, we went to a small apartment and then we had to buy a new house. This house is home," said Francisco Montijo, a father and uncle.

The home was already filled with love, but new beds, desks, dressers and paint are possible in part because of the recently created Fresno Police Officers Foundation.

"You find people when they're having a really bad day. And this allows you to give back and you see the benefits of pouring back into the community," said Fresno Police Sgt. Jeff La Blue.

He explains the foundation helped purchase the furniture with money from fundraising and donations.

"There's something about a child having a safe place to sleep, to study, to play that really helps to support their growth,"

Tish Valdez-Standley is a director for the organization HandsOn Central California.

The non-profit helps facilitate volunteers where they're needed across the Central Valley.

She said she was inspired after working with the Healthy Room Project in Modesto earlier this year.

"I saw the work that was happening, and the transformation and really the effect on these children's lives. And I knew we had to bring that to Fresno," said Valdez-Standley.

A high school resource officer nominated Francisco and Lucia Montijo's niece, Taylor after realizing how much adversity the 17-year-old student and her family had faced.

After a day of drilling and painting-- it was time for Taylor to see the transformation. Stunned, she went and greeted all the officers and other volunteers who took the time to remodel her room.

The organization HandsOn Central California hopes to continue to facilitate these kinds of projects.

Tuesday was such a success, the Police Foundation hopes to take on a room remodel every quarter moving forward.

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