Valley woman surprised with free rent and holiday gifts by company

PHOENIX - The spirit of giving is alive and well at one Valley apartment complex, where a company decided to give one of its residents an early Christmas gift.

For 87-year-old Sally Manatt, it was a surprise she was never expecting, and it was all made possible thanks to Western Wealth Communities.

"What we do is ask our on-site community team members, because they know our residents the best,"said John Rials, Executive Vice President with Western Wealth Capital. "We ask them to write a letter about some people they know may have struggled through the year with either their circumstances or just paying rent, and then we read those letters and select for each community who get the free rent."

The staff on-site at the Serafina Apartment community wrote about Manatt. She retired as a Program Coordinator at ASU just a couple of years ago at 85 years old. Now, she is a full-time caregiver to her 57-year-old disabled son. 

"You worked your whole life taking care of your son, you’re a veteran, so we can’t just thank you enough for everything that you’ve done, for your life and for everyone. Thank you so much." Rials said to Manatt.

Along with the free month’s rent, Manatt was surprised with a Christmas tree, outdoor patio furniture, and other necessities that were on her Christmas list, things she thought she’d never get.

“I really appreciate it so much, and I really thank everybody involved, and where do I put it all?" said Manatt.