Juan Ramon Alvarado Lopez and his three children frequently visit their favorite park near their Calistoga home. It’s where they decompress after a long week of work and school. These trips are also a time to remember the children’s late mother, Leticia, who died of colon cancer this year.
“We don’t remember her with sadness, but with joy,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado was by his wife’s side as her cancer worsened, leaving her in need of hospice care. He used up his vacation time at his vineyard job to care for her around the clock, hoping her health would improve. But Leticia’s condition deteriorated, forcing him to use all of his sick leave. Ultimately he had to take an indefinite leave until the aggressive spread ended her life in April.
“We had a beautiful marriage and lived a good life together. I had to do everything to help her,” he said.
The family was devastated. And now, it had another life-altering predicament coming its way: They were at risk of eviction. Because Alvarado had gone more than three months without working, the family had fallen behind on rent. Then a car payment came due, and bills started piling up.
“Everything came crashing down on us, and I didn’t know where to go for help,” he said, until a local family center connected him with the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.
Before Leticia was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, the Alvarados had a stable family life. Juan Ramon’s job of 20 years at a vineyard specializing in luxury wines allowed him to be the main provider for the household. Leticia mostly raised the kids, but had worked for a few years as a cleaner for a restaurant before her diagnosis.
They met in the Mexican state of Michoacan, where they dated before coming to Napa. Juan Ramon, who hails from the small town of Atacheo, recalls scarce work opportunities at home at the time. The nearby city of Zamora eventually became an industrial and engineering hub for the mountainous region, but in the 1990s it hardly had any well-paying jobs.
“Life and work in the United States can be hard, but I saw it as an adventure,” he said. “You might never know what life brings you.”
He followed his brother to Napa in search of a better life, first landing a job in construction with hopes of building a family home in Atacheo by sending remittances. But that plan changed after Leticia eventually arrived with her sister in 2001. They settled, married and began a family in Napa Valley.
In 2022, Leticia began experiencing persistent bowel issues. A routine checkup found an obstruction. Follow-up analyses determined it was colon cancer. The news was unimaginable to the Alvarados. During the constant trips to the doctor, Juan Ramon clung to hope that his wife’s health would improve.
When she died, he had to face the reality of life without his partner of over 30 years. He felt desolate and, making matters worse, was trapped in a severe financial situation that threatened to put his family out of its longtime home. Because he voluntarily took time off from work, with proper approvals from his employer, he was not eligible for government unemployment assistance.
He was unsure where to get help with bills, but remembered visiting the UpValley Family Center in Calistoga after wildfires ravaged the region a few years ago. Elvira Sanchez, a worker at the center, was able to connect him with assistance through Season of Sharing, which works year-round to prevent homelessness and hunger in the nine-county Bay Area. All donations go directly to help people in need.
The Season of Sharing fund provided three and a half months’ worth of rent assistance, allowing Alvarado to pay his back rent. When he resumed work, he was able to make payments on the rest of his bills and help the family regain a sense of stability.
“It was a great relief and a way out of this trouble with debt and bills,” he said. “I felt like I finally got a break.”
However, recovery has not been straightforward for the household. Juan Ramon has had to pick up regular overtime shifts at work to catch up with overdue bills and stay up to date on rent.
Because Juan Ramon’s vineyard work and hours are so taxing, the whole family has taken an active role in looking out for each other. Every now and then, the kids chip in for dinner so he doesn’t have to cook. They constantly talk about their grief. On other days they might go to the park or a nearby mall to distract themselves for a few hours outside of the house they share so many memories in.
Family members will continue to find strength through each other as the holiday season arrives.
“We will be feeling her absence. Christmas and the holidays won’t be the same anymore,” Juan Ramon said.
Reach Mario Cortez: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com
Photos by: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle
At Season of Sharing Fund, we believe that an unexpected financial crisis should never mean losing your home. Preventing homelessness isn’t just kind—it’s also the most effective way to keep our communities thriving. 100% of your donation keeps Bay Area residents housed, cared for and nourished.
