Care home workers rewarded for doing right thing

by Chip Johnson

Miguel Alvarez, 33, recalls being (at times) the only person caring for the abandoned residents of Valley Springs Manor last week as he sits with his son Lucciano Alvarez, 4, in Alvarez's home that he shares with his mother, wife, son and step son in San Leandro, Calif. Alvarez started working as a part time janitor at Valley Springs Manor on October 7th and says he was supposed to be paid on the 25th but now he doesn't know if he will ever receive payment. Over time, Alvarez's hours became increasingly strange, sometimes he would be the only person in the building with the residents from 6pm-6am the next day. Alvarez says that he lived at the facility from last Tuesday until Saturday to make sure the residents were cared for. He missed his son's first day of school. By Thursday he was the only person bathing and caring for those who were still at the manor, though he is only trained as a janitor. "They just left them for dead," he said, "I didn't know what to do."
Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez, the cook and janitor who stood like sentinels over 19 elderly residents abandoned by staff at a Castro Valley care facility, were honored last week at the Hayward Veterans Memorial Building. It was the latest of many laurels bestowed on the two men, who have been friends since middle school. In the week since news of their good deed spread, people responded with goodwill, gifts and donations to the men and their families.
Rowland and Alvarez stood fast for two days after the state-ordered shutdown of Valley Springs Manor, an assisted care center. They cleaned, fed and cared for patients on their own time, placing the dignity of human life above their paychecks. State officials moved swiftly last week to assume control of a Modesto care home owned by the same people who ran Valley Springs.
The selfless actions of these two men have drawn praise from every corner, including government bodies, veterans groups and scores of private citizens from the Bay Area to Ottawa.
In addition to the award from the American Veterans Association, they received a certificate of special recognition from Rep. Eric Swalwell's office and a commendation from the California Legislature.
And thanks to the generosity of Chronicle readers touched by the story, they are being compensated for their efforts as well. Checks and gift cards have poured in, and the two men have established a bank account to take in the donations, which they have agreed to split evenly.
"We didn't expect any of this," Alvarez said. "We've never expected anything from anyone in life."
The men were surrounded by friends and family at the brief ceremony in Hayward, and it was one of those occasions when parents could not have been more proud of their children.
"I think I raised him the right way," said Rowland's mother, Carrie Bell, who turned to me with a knowing smile and asked, "What do you think?"

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