My name is Joyce Van Steen. I have been a resident of Bellflower for 43 years, 35 of those years being at this location on Carfax Ave.
I never imagined I would be facing huge fines because my old block wall fence which borders Riverview Park was leaning outward It had been that way since I moved in here in 1991. We did build a wooden fence because we thought it was going to fall over but since then that fence rotted and had termite damage but the block wall was still standing. If they hadn't of put that park behind my house it wouldn't have drawn the attention to the new code enforcement officer but it did and it was unfair since I was only given five days to remove it and replace it with new fencing.
After receiving the violation notice in the mail, I reached out to my friend, Fred Taylor, who encouraged me to attend a City Council meeting, to explain my situation, and ask for an extension of time so that I could obtain estimates and hopefully qualify for financing. I was given 10 days but the costs were overwhelming and I simply could not afford any of those estimates since I'm on Social Security and my house payment takes nearly all of that.
Then something incredible happened.
After attending two City Council meetings, I received a phone call from Andrew at Kingdom Causes Bellflower. He and a team of wonderful volunteers came out in the summer heat and demolished the block wall. He also spoke with CR&R, who generously donated a dumpster and covered the cost of hauling away all the broken concrete
As if that wasn't enough, they found a fencing company willing to donate and install a beautiful new vinyl fence with a gate.
I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to everyone who gave their time, labor, generosity, and compassion to help me. These wonderful strangers truly changed my life.
If I had never attended those City Council meetings, none of this would have happened. Thank you, Fred Taylor, for encouraging me to attend and for pointing me in the right direction.
That is why I encourage others to stay involved in our community. You never know when simply showing up could make all the difference ---especially for seniors living on a limited income.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to Kingdom Causes Bellflower, Andrew, the volunteers, CR&R, Irvine Fencing Company, the Bellflower City Council, Fred Taylor and everyone else who helped make this possible. I will never forget your kindness. I also see volunteering in my future so I might make that same difference for someone in a similar situation.
Sincerely.
Joyce Van Steen