Elizabeth and Samuel met in Mexico in a small village called Chucandiro. Elizabeth was sitting outside one day, and Samuel sat down and started a conversation with her. That conversation eventually led to marriage, and they have been together now for 18 years. During that time, Elizabeth and Samuel had a child, Leslie, who was three when they decided to relocate their family to Porterville, California in the United States. Porterville is a city at the base of the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains on the eastern side of San Joaquin Valley.
Elizabeth and her family have been living in their home in Porterville for 13 years. It's easy for her to remember because it is also when their son Samuel Jr. was born, and their daughter, Leslie, is now 16 years old. Their neighborhood is peaceful, and they are five minutes away from her husband's relatives. Their weekends are centered around church and family. After attending service, they gather at a relative's house to enjoy each other's company.
Samuel was the first to discover GRID Alternatives Solar Installation Program and brought the news to Elizabeth. After a brief discussion, Elizabeth said, "What do we have to lose?” After contacting GRID and qualifying for the program, they worked with Bertha Aguilar, one of GRID Central Valley’s Outreach Coordinators to ensure the qualification and installation process went smoothly.
On the day of installation, Elizabeth made breakfast for the construction crew. She remembers the young men working on her home as being very polite. It's been a few years, and they are enjoying tremendous savings and have not had any issues with the system. They've enjoyed their experience so much that they referred six families to GRID. With their savings, Elizabeth uses the money to pay other bills and her husband's lunch money.
GRID Central Valley would like to thank Elizabeth and her husband, Samuel Sr, for allowing us to share their story. We would also like to thank Bertha Aguilar for providing translation services.