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People Taking Action: property owners treat tenants like family!

Posted at 5:58 PM, Jul 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-23 14:41:18-04

NORFOLK, Va. - A Norfolk husband and wife, who are rental property owners are showing they have a big heart.

Ellen and Graham White treat their tenants like family.

It was her sister, Dee Langford who sent News 3 an email about Ellen and Graham, who are the on-site managers at the Sea Horton apartments in the Willioughby section of Norfolk.

In the email, Dee pointed out that in addition to the regular maintenance and upkeep of the apartments, Ellen and Graham do other things, "But they also treat all the residents like family; they take them to their doctor visits, they sit with them in the hospital."

Like when tenant James Archie had serious health issues---it was the Whites who regularly took him to the doctor. James says they're like family to him.

Another tenant, Scarlet Riley points out, Ellen reached out to her during a family loss, "We lost my father-in-law in January and she made sure we had food. And she made sure we had drinks....while we were going through the grieving process and handling funeral arrangements, she was there."

The tenants say Ellen and Graham white just have a way of making their apartment complex feel like home. They say around Christmas Ellen is baking goodies, around birthdays she'll visit dropping off treats.

Her sister Dee adds, "She takes meals to those who've been sick. You can see that all the residents are treated like family."

For those reasons News 3 present Ellen and Graham with a News 3 People Taking Action award, along with a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner Southern Bank.

They were very very grateful.

So why do they do all this extra stuff? Ellen says it's simple, "We just love em' and if they need it. They need it and we just want to love em'. Well God tells us to love one another and if there's a need to help out....anytime you see someone with a need you help them."

Which is what Ellen and Graham do on a regular basis.