When an 87-year-old veteran and his disabled wife lost power to their Moss Hill home on July 16, a group of five biker friends stepped in to help.
Michael Sisneros of Hardin said he learned about the couple’s financial troubles from Joseph Mamerow, a fellow veteran and co-worker at Forum in Liberty. Sisneros relayed the information to four friends, who, like him, are motorcycle enthusiasts. Sisneros and his friends – Bryan Horn, Greg Griffin, Edwin Milum, and James Long – decided to pay the couple’s overdue electric bill as a way of giving back to the community.
“We work outside all day, so we know how hot it was that day. The heat index had to have been 100 degrees. That was the biggest concern for us – that they were sitting in their hot house without any relief,” Sisneros said.
The friends pooled together enough money to pay the couple’s overdue utility bill with another $75 left to go toward groceries.
According to Mamerow, who organized the relief effort, when another co-worker, Marci Pope, learned about it, she pitched in another $225 for the couple to use for groceries and other needs.
The fact that the elderly Moss Hill man is also a veteran took on extra significance for Sisneros, who until six years ago was a combat engineer in the U.S. Army, serving a tour in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan.
“Veterans’ issues are near and dear to my heart,” he said.
Sisneros says he and his friends are now looking at ways they can improve the lives of veterans through volunteerism.
Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com