ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Mobile automobile mechanic and handyman Keith Alvarez is known around Anna Maria Island for his mechanical expertise and his willingness to help others.
Alvarez, 54, a Bradenton resident, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that will soon require prostate removal surgery and a recovery period during which he’ll be unable to work and fully support his family.
He and his wife, Paula, and their daughter, Olivia, are members of the CrossPointe Fellowship church in Holmes Beach. CrossPointe Fellowship members Ed Saxe and Carla Ballew are among those who want to help the man who has helped so many others.
“Carla and I talked and said we have to do something. She agreed to set up a GoFundMe account and I placed some ads in the newspaper,” Saxe said.
“Keith has helped me numerous times, and not only with my vehicle. He’s an excellent mechanic, but in addition to that he helps people with anything they need. He’s very handy. He’s done so many things for me,” Saxe said.
As a snowbird who lived in Pennsylvania and owned a second home in Bradenton Beach, Saxe, 79, had been coming to Anna Maria Island for 44 years. In May, he sold his Bradenton Beach home, bought a home in Bradenton and had his Pennsylvania possessions delivered there. Alvarez met the U-Haul driver at Saxe’s new home and helped unload the truck and put his belongings in place for him.
“He’s so generous and humble. He’s going to come next week to put a part in my washer, replace a part on my ice dispenser, hang a hammock and do some other things. There’s nothing this man can’t do. He’s just an incredible man. I can’t say enough about him,” Saxe said.
Before moving to Bradenton, Ballew, 79, and her husband lived part-time in Anna Maria from 1994 to 2006 while also living in Illinois.
“We’ve known Keith a long time. He goes to the same church we go to. That’s how we originally got to know him. Then we needed some car work done. My husband was going through cancer treatments in 2013 and those were some pretty rough times. We had to go to Moffitt (cancer treatment center in Tampa). We had an older car with almost 300,000 miles on it and Keith always made sure it was in good running condition. He either didn’t charge us or he charged us less than what it would have normally cost,” Ballew said.
“He’s an all-around great guy who’s helped a lot of people. He doesn’t advertise. People who know him tell others about him and that’s how he makes his living. The doctor says he cannot work during his recovery period and he’s the sole supporter of his family. We want to do this for him because he’s helped so many people, including those who are less fortunate. He’s willing to do anything for anybody, even if they can’t pay him. Now he needs our help,” she said.
Ballew recently started the “Help Keith Alvarez Through Cancer Treatment” GoFundMe online fundraiser that includes the following message: “I hope and pray that all who see this will find it in their hearts to give back to Keith while he is going through this difficult chapter in his life. Cancer is an illness that calls for expensive treatments which are not always covered by insurance. Therefore, if you are able, be generous in your giving to allow Keith and his family to have peace of mind while they concentrate on the healing rather than worrying about how to support the family and pay the bills.”
Helping the helpful
As a mobile automobile mechanic, Alvarez’s work area includes Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key.
“My main work is as a mobile automotive mechanic as far as making a living for myself and my family. From there, I’ve got various people that I do things for. I may start my day out doing a brake job and finish my day out unclogging a toilet, fixing a garbage disposal and things like that,” he said.
“I have been blessed with a backlog of mechanical work without having to advertise. My wife and I live very meagerly. We made that decision years ago when we were both saved, that we were going to help others as they’ve helped us in the past,” he added.
Alvarez expects to have his surgery in approximately six weeks.
“I had to get some tests done. They also found a spot on my lung as well, so they’re looking into that before they do the prostate surgery. Because of the type of work I do, the doctors are telling me it will be anywhere from six to 10 weeks that I can’t do any work,” he said.
When Alvarez received his cancer diagnosis, he was able to obtain a health insurance policy that provides some minimal coverage but also has high deductibles.
Alvarez said he was initially reluctant regarding an appeal to the greater Island community for help.
“We’ve been at CrossPointe Fellowship for about 10 years – ever since Ed Moss took over. We have an unbelievable church family that has been so supportive and loving. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this, but after talking to some of our church leaders they let me know it was time for me to get back a little bit,” Alvarez said.
“I’m the one that’s spent years looking after everybody else and it’s been a very humbling experience having them come forward and offering to help. I’ve never been in this position – not only being sick and having to go through all this, but also having people helping me. It’s always kind of been the other way around,” he said.
Beyond the fundraising efforts, Alvarez was asked if there’s anything else the community can do to assist him and his family.
“A lot of prayers,” he said.
