My father, Giulio Vinci, was a contractor. He was the owner and founder of Giulio Vinci Contractors. My dad came from Italy and became a citizen of the United States in 1975 when he was twenty-one years old and with a 5th grade education. But what he may have lacked in schooling he more than made up for in passion, morals, work ethic, and love for his family and people.
When I was 19 years old, my father passed quickly from a late diagnosis of liver cancer. He was diagnosed in June 2012 and passed December 8th of the same year. With his passing he left his business and I couldn’t let that pass away too. I assumed ownership of his business, completed his projects, and worked with his clients to maintain the legacy and integrity he had taught me. Giulio Vinci contractors now belonged to me and so did his care and concern for others.
I watched my mother struggle with the pain of losing him. Although I could “fix” that, one of the benefits she had was that I could assume a lot of the typical home repairs and maintenance my father had. After a couple years of taking on these new roles I began to wonder how others did it. What did they do when the one who cared for the home, the “fixer”, was no longer there.
And that’s when the 127 Project was born. I know I can’t take the pain of loss away, but I can show the love, care, and charity that is expected of me in the sight of God. I firmly believe if we all do what we can, we can change someone’s world for the better so it’s not so lonely and distressed. I know I can fix and build homes, my father taught me how. I also know I can help others, because God showed me how.