José Villarruel hugs his former student, Steven Nava, after receiving a big birthday surprise in Fontana, California.
(CNN) -
Seeing a cherished substitute teacher living in his car inspired a former student to try to help a man who had made a difference in his life.
The help came in the form of a check for $ 27,000, money former student Steven Nava helped raise through a GoFundMe campaign last week.
Money that former substitute teacher José Villarruel of Fontana, California, said he did not expect.
"From the bottom of my heart, I had to use all my self-control not to get sentimental about all this and not get nervous," Villarruel told CNN.
"It was very exciting, totally unexpected and great."
Mr. V, as his students call him, turned 77 on March 11.
Nava, 21, presented the check to Mr. V on his birthday, at a surprise party with other alumni who came to celebrate.
Villarruel was surprised with a check for $ 27,000 on his 77th birthday.
The celebration and gift came at a time when Villarruel was struggling. He has lived in his car for the past eight years while working as a substitute teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
When the pandemic began and classes shifted to remote learning, the need for substitute teachers disappeared, he said.
Villarruel applied for his retirement funds in order to have some income.
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Years ago he made the decision to live in his car because he sent most of his income to his wife, children and family in Mexico, he said.
Earlier this month, Nava was preparing to leave for his job as a welder and was on his way to work around 5 a.m.
He saw a man in the parking lot of the nearby senior center who was going through the trunk of his car.
Nava said she thought it was strange and couldn't look at the man as he looked familiar.
"Throughout the day, I got to thinking, 'Wait, wait, wait, I think that's my substitute teacher,'" he said, eventually realizing that it was Mr. V, his teacher in high school. Fontana.
Nava said that he had always remembered Villarruel.
“It really stuck with me because of the way he was so kind to his students.
He asked how the day was going, if you had eaten, little details like that.
It was very, very funny when he was teaching.
It took her a few days to gather her courage, but Nava returned to the parking lot and found Villarruel again.
He asked how his day was going and what his situation was, he said.
When Nava found out how Villarruel lived, he insisted on giving his former teacher the money he carried with him, about $ 300.
"He showed me a big smile and said, 'Thank you very much,'" Nava said.
"He came over to give me a hug and as he hugged me, I saw a small tear run down his face."
That's when Nava told him, “I'm going to get him out of this situation, one way or another.
I'm going to find a way, ”he said.
José Villarruel and his former student, Steven Nava, speak during the surprise party for the teacher.
That day, Nava created the GoFundMe campaign for Mr. V, which raised $ 5,000 in a matter of hours, he said.
The next day, a TikTok video he made about Villarruel, which has been viewed 1.7 million times, helped boost donations to $ 27,000.
"Teachers play a very important role in our lives," Nava said.
"I felt like I needed to return the favor."
Seeing all the alumni who came to Mr. V's surprise party shows how much the teacher has done for the community.
This also motivated Nava to be better in her community.
"You are somewhat taken aback when you learn that one of your teachers is homeless," Nava said.
Seeing him live and go through it made me want to do this.
He helped us with our future and being the people we are today, so I wanted to help him and make sure he's in a situation where he doesn't have to worry anymore.
Nava and Villarruel now communicate every day and Nava says she enjoys their conversations and has helped her teacher recover.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department learned of Villarruel's case and helped him obtain a voucher for a motel on March 10, said Mike Jones, deputy sheriff for the county's Homelessness and Proactive Enforcement (HOPE) program. .
This will give Villarruel a place to live for a month while he finds a longer-term home, he said.
"Our team works collaboratively with service providers and agencies throughout the county to help people like Mr. Villarruel every day," Jones said in a statement.
"It is these efforts that help the most vulnerable population in our community to stop being homeless."
As for Villarruel, he is trying to accept his new reality and plans to take a trip to Mexico to see his family.
"It's a great feeling to have this change and I still have to adapt to make the most of it," Villarruel said.
“It was unexpected, but I accept it with an open heart and I'm ready for whatever comes next.
I know good things will come.
