Community Spotlight: Jesus Almanza

Jesus and his little brother were raised by their grandmother. They loved watching Saturday morning cartoons, cooking shows and watching Grandma make a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, pancakes and sausage.

When he was three, Jesus recalls a time when he and his brother did not want to wait until Grandma woke up to make breakfast. After watching her so many times, the boys decided they could do it themselves. Needless to say, breakfast was burnt and the house was filled with smoke.

Awoken by the noise, their grandmother entered the kitchen and informed them that since they could not be patient and they could not waste food, they had to eat the breakfast they made. It was a lesson that brings a smile to Jesus to this day.

When he was four, his mother married a good man and Jesus went to live with her and the man whom Jesus grew to consider a father.

From him, Jesus learned the value of work. He had chores in the yard and around house and when he was old enough, Jesus went with his stepfather on weekends to clean landscape trucks.

“He taught me a valuable lesson: I had to earn my money— nothing is free in life, you have to work for it,” said Jesus. “I didn’t always like him at the time, but looking back on it, I realize how lucky I was to have him as a stepfather. He accepted me as his own son and he taught me about life.”

But it wasn’t all work and no play. Being from Guatemala, Jesus’ stepfather loved soccer and taught Jesus how to play. He loved it.

“It was our favorite game to play at the park—me and my dad and my mom. Later I had siblings, we’d all go to park, said Jesus.

As his grandmother aged, Jesus and his stepfather would regularly go to help with things she could no longer do. When his grandmother became ill, the family moved in to help provide care. Unfortunately, she passed away when Jesus was just 14. It hit him hard. Then another blow, his mother and stepfather divorced.

It was then that Jesus entered a dark time in his life. He turned to alcohol, was constantly running away and in trouble. This lifestyle took a toll on him and Jesus developed type 2 diabetes at age 16. His struggles continued through young adulthood and his health further declined. He started dialy - sis at 30 and still goes four hours, three times a week. He also received a pacemaker, limiting his activities. He began to turn his life around.

Jesus had lived in Mesa, but in 2016 he was approved to move into Lonely Cactus. Being in the community made getting to and from dialysis much easier, especially with Senior Services providing transportation for him as an adult with physical and adaptive needs. It also made it easier for him to check up on his mother who lives in the same complex and to see his nephews who are often over visiting their grandma. Jesus and his mother check up on each other often.

Jesus enjoyed coming to Senior Services regularly. He’d meet his best friends for meals and do some of the activities then enjoy lunch.

“I made my first wood burning with my last name and put it outside my door.”

When Jesus had Covid and was quarantined for two weeks, he recalls feeling like he was in jail, cut off from his activities, friends and family. It was getting to him, so he asked himself, “If I were in jail and got out, what would I do? I remembered that I told myself, ‘If I was out, I would get back into my art work because that’s what I always enjoyed doing.’ And so that’s what I did.” ing furniture and lazy susans with Pima basket and squash blossom designs. He posted photos of his work on facebook.

Jesus began drawing again, something he enjoyed as a teenager. He also started watching YouTube to learn more about wood burning and began creating furniture and lazy susans with Pima basket and squash blossom designs. He posted photos of his work on facebook.

“I made my first table and someone asked me how much I wanted for it. I never thought about selling my stuff, it was just something I did for myself,” said Jesus.

Today Jesus continues his wood burning. He makes walking sticks, signs, lazy susans and even redoes furniture he finds on the side of the road. His art provides money for necessities, including art supplies.

In addition to his art, Jesus is teaching himself guitar, astronomy. Through the internet, he has become interested in other cultures and is teaching himself Filipino history and language.

“Before Covid, I went to the senior center a lot. We did a lot of art activities like wood burning and I liked it a lot.”

He likes to make Mexican food and get together for family meals with his siblings and nieces and nephews. He especially loves to BBQ and has three of them. Jesus is experimenting to create a diabetic friendly BBQ sauce.

“I am testing out different sugar substitutes,” he said. “It may take time, but I know I’ll get it.”

Though he once struggled, Jesus is happy with his life in the community.

“Never say you can’t because that brings you down. I tell myself I can do it,” said Jesus. “I may never have done it, but I’ll try it, like drawing the man in the maze was the biggest challenge. Now it’s natural.”