Residents rally to help formerly homeless man
Hundreds in Rio Rancho have rallied behind new resident Brandon Whitmore
By Aliyah Chavez
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RIO RANCHO, New Mexico (KOAT) — Hundreds in Rio Rancho have rallied behind new resident Brandon Whitmore, who was living on the streets just four weeks ago.
“People donated to this house, and man, I’m just blessed,” Whitmore told KOAT on Tuesday.
Whitmore was sleeping in a tent for two years, sometimes setting up near bus stops or local gas stations. Then one day, he decided to post on the neighborhood social app Nextdoor to see if anyone had any extra shirts and pants.
His post ended up getting hundreds of responses, including from 20-year Rio Rancho resident Janelle Taylor Garcia. Community members also raised money to put Whitmore up in a local hotel for a few weeks.
“She [Janelle] put me in a hotel Tuesday, and by Friday, I had a job,” Whitmore added.
A few weeks later, Whitmore got keys to an apartment of his own — and again, received wide-ranging support from Rio Rancho community members on Nextdoor. This time, with furniture — everything from a bed and couches to a vacuum and plates.
“I’m going to make sure that I don’t disappoint myself and I don’t disappoint the people who helped,” Whitmore said.
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