hi, welcome to assignment 7. today on our program.... >> it's an environment and we're going to lose that. >> a local shelter scheduled for demolition. we look what is going to happen with dozens of veterans where nowhere else to turn. >> an insurance company pays the claim but the bank won't give her the money. i'll explain why not. >> and a journey of hope to a west african country that has been scarred by years of war. carolyn johnson shares her trip for leoe are a veterans facility will close its doors at the end

of the year, more than 100 residents don't want to leave. as vick leave reports, they are worried about what may happen to them down the road. >> 7,000 people have come through the homeless veterans emergency facility in menlo park since it opened a decade ago. it's a place where they can rebuild their lives, escape from addiction and find jobs. the v.a. hospital and many services are also nearby. jeremy served with the marines in iraq. >> psychiatric services, medical services, more importantly, rehabilitation services are right here.>> >> former homeless veteran irwin good win started the shelter with grant money. now, the v.a. says the 150 end of december.ot out by the. the building will be torn down because it's citation mickly safe 9 veterans don't want to

leave. >> it's the cleanest environment and we're going to lose that. that is the worst thing that can happen right now. >> among those here, world war ii veteran jack taylor who is 95 years old. >> it's hard to beat the procedure that they have to get people that are really in desperate need. >> today social workers visited the veterans to begin relocating them. >> absolutely none of them will end up on the streets. >> the veterans are skeptical. >> promises are made to be broken. >> v.a. spokesperson says they have extend the deadline numerous times over several years but this is it. but there is one ray of hope for the residents. >> irwin goodwin says he has found an apartment building on the peninsula that could house most of them here. he is hoping to close the deal by march. we asked them if the v.a. could

extend the deadline just one more time. >> if he could show us the paperwork that he is going to get and our folks inspect it, it could very well happen. >> if it does, those here say it would prove the government really does put veterans first. vic lee, "abc 7 news." some are forming villages to help each other. california has more in the development stage. lyanne melendez tells us how they work. >> he has dementia. his wife reached out to an organization called asci village that provides volunteers and audio version of his life was recently completed. >> i feel good about the whole thing. >> the village has 170 senior

members and 60 volunteers serving berkeley, albany, pleasanton and a small portion of oakland. >> they offer assistance inome , cooking, gardening, dog walking. whatever people's needs are that helped them to continue living independently. >> it's not cheap. $750 a year per person, about $62 a month. those who can afford it the say they get a lot of support. bob's wife takes a course every thursday night. >> i don't like leaving bob alone so i asked for a volunteer. >> currently there are other villages nationwide with about 11,000 senior members. san francisco already has two. >> if they fall and break a hip, nobody knows that is going to

happen until it is too late. >> a report from the city and county of san francisco points out that in 2008 there were about 150,000 seniors or 20% of the population. it's now estimated by 2030 san francisco will have more than 250,000 seniors. >> more services will be needed. mark goldman is one of the volunteers. >> the family that used to there the children grow up and go away. >> more volunteers will be need and support an ever growing aging population. >> if you've ever had a critically ill child you know it's a trying time for the whole family. cheryl jennings met one family how ron mcdonald house came to the rescue. >> the 8-year-old has a loving

family that watch out for him because of health issues, including autism. his brothers and sisters and dad all stay at ron mcdonald house for seven weeks after he was rushed to the surgery for a condition that almost killed him >> he was diagnosed, epilepsy. he had seizures. he couldn't eat. he d literally sat on the couch shaking and screaming. that was his life at least two years. >> his weight dropped drastically, he only weighed 30 pounds. >> he was sitting there watching him die, basically. >> they were frantic and the doctors were alarmed. >> if we can't get this stop and the medicines aren't working he you are going to lose your son. >> so he had brain surgery at

ucsf medical center. it was a long recovery but the family wanted to be there during this critical time and commuting was impossible. >> we ran out of money for the hotel. insurance wasn't going to pay. >> they heard the ronald mcdonald house was full but they say a aappened and a room opened up. >> a place to stay, to have the support of him every day coming to the hospital. >> it's a school program. we got the dinner it was awesome. >> normalcy is what they are looking for. >> the director says that includes chores just like they would at home, whether making beds or cleaning the play area. >> they had a carrying group of volunteer staff and other

families. it's really important. you are not alone. >> before he had the brain surgery, kind of felt like a kid now after the brain surgery, taking care of him. >> how much difference was it to you? >> a big difference. >> the family was able to go on the first outing after he recovered. they went to a san francisco giants' game. >> without this house, it would have been so much different. we continue be a happened. of what happened. brought e brought everybody bak together. >> khiashls jennings, "abc 7 news." >> up next, we know how hard it is to get an insurance company to pay up sometimes. michael finney it may be tougher than you think. also, potholes can be like land mines in the street. one city is falling way behind fixing the problem. saving money could be as easy as turning a wheel. what the inventor of the ipo cl

welcome back.

money troubles means san jose is ignoring its roads. potholes are getting worse. karina rusk has more. >> driving on san jose streets can be like navigating a landmine of potholes. >> i hit it in such a fashion it blew the tire and damaged the wheel. >> the director of transportation is warning city leaders that the numbers just don't add up. >> you need to invest hundred million a year to keep the roads in good condition. unfortunately we only have $15 million a year. >> this is 2400 miles of paved streets and without regular maintenance conditions are getting worse. >> the transportation director 900 miles are considered in good condition. but the rest, close to 1,000 miles are rated in fair condition. another 330 miles are classified

as poor. more than 100 miles fall under very poor category. they blame the budget reality. >> the road is in terrible conditions but i'm not proud of the fact we had to lay of cops. >> it's a tax earmarked for road repair but it's takes two-thirds majority to pass. >> it would be okay, maybe. >> if funding remains as is, by 2020 more than half of the streets will be in poor conditions. that is bumpy ride no matter where you turn. when your insurance company agrees to pay damage to your home, you might think your troubles are over but sometimes it's hard to collect the money. >> patricia is showing us her new dishwasher the one she bought after her old one caused a big problem.

>> the neighbor down below, do you have water in your kitchen. i said no. >> she opened the dishwasherer and water was pouring in and not draining out even though it was turned off. it had seeped out her apartment down the floor and into the apartment downstairs. >> it was squishy when i stepped out of it. >> she had to rip out her floor since she has one continuous floor. thankfully her insurance agreed to replace it. knowledge be was getting the money. her insurance company made out the check for her mortgage lender, chase bank. chase did release two payments as the work was done, however it would not release the final payment until after an inspection. >> she took pictures and the job is hundred percent done. >> inspector came and filed this report. saying the work was hundred percent complete.

chase only requires 90% completion but the bank didn't send her the money. instead it sent her a baffling notice. >> they needed to have proof that their job was complete. i said you have, it was fax today you and you should have it. >> patricia faxed another copy of the inspection report and it didn't help. chase sent another notice, we need an inspection. so patricia faxed the report a third time. and for the third time, chase sent a notice asking for the inspection. >> faxed you three times but it went on and on. >> she called the bank 34 times and got nowhere. she contacts 7 on your side. then told bank we were on the case and right away she got action. >> we got the check overnight. >> the insurance check had been

mailed to the wrong bank office which caused a delay in processing her claim. she did not explain why it kept asking for an inspection report. but practice tricia did properly receive her final payment of $1,950. >> i appreciate the help. i am a fan of "7 on your side." >> the bank says the mix-up started when the insurance check was linked to her home equity line of credit instead of her mortgage account. now, if you have a consumer problem, let me know about it. go to abc7news.com. >> this is interesting. the. i pot has come up to use click wheel commands to manage energy use at home. david louie shows us a new kind of thermostat. >> thermostats haven't changed much. expensive ones can be programmed

for different temperatures during day and night but now there is a new thermostat. >> no one learns how to drive a thermostat properly. >> it uses the click wheel commands of the ipod to set temperatures. it changes them automatically. no more complex programming. >> it's really not that hard to program. >> built in sensors lets you know if you are away. you can even operate it using a smart phone application. the mission is to save energy. >> if you see this on the screen it will tell you the thermostat, you are driving it properly. >> he says the thermostat made it easy to attract 100 engineers

in from other companies. they have been working in stealth mode. >> if you wanted it to be 90 degrees in winter and 60 degrees in the summer, no, absolutely not. but if you actually do it train it wise, absolutely it will save matagorda energies. >> it sells for $249, twice the cost of other programmable units but ease of use and smart features may allow you to recover the costs in a year or two. >> it is very likely this could only be the beginning. tony very is very quiet when it comes to answering questions in what lies ahead for home management. >> when we come back, abc 7's carolyn johnson goes to sierra leone.

welcome back. in many parts of the world, babies and their mothers are fighting for survival. "abc 7 news" has launched a million mom march with the goal to support mothers in developing countries. carolyn johnson journeyed to the west african nation of sierra leone. >> driving into the lush part of the sierra leone is jarring ride and in many ways the violent

twists mirror the recent decades here. a brutal, ten-year civil war ended in 2002 but memories scar this nation. >> all my family run away. >> he was eight years old when he was kidnapped by rebels that cut off both his arms. >> it was out of shear wickedness. >> similar atrocities would be repeated, including the systematic rape of hundreds of thousands of women of girls. >> she remembers date when fighters overran her village. >> and when it was all over, many have no home to return to. charred buildings still pepper the landscape especially in diamond rich areas. >> this used to be a bustling shopping center, the heart where

trading took place, but when they came through here, they torched the buildings and killed people here in the marketplace. as we look down the road here you can see the gas station burned out. >> nearby villagers hunt for the diamonds. three-quarters of the population survive on less than $2 a day. meanwhile, the government is struggling to rebuild hospitals and clinics destroyed during the war. malaria killed thousands of children during the war along with diarrhea and malnutrition. >> amid the suffering and heartache there is a strong sense of hope. scores of humanitarian organizations are training health care workers and providing vital medicine. one of the largest is world vision which is recruited more than a hundred families from the bay area to sponsor children in

sierra leone. their donations revitalize entire communities. >> its youth group. >> we're back again. >> a surgeon just returned to sierra leone after training at san francisco trauma unit. it's the only one of its kind in the country. >> always. >> aid groups help to heal the physical fallout of the war, they are tackling the psychological scars, as well. >> on a beach in the capital city, young amputees have formed competitive soccer teams. rebuilding projects are underway

and a decade removed from the violence a new greeted usneration greeted us in every village with shouts of excitement. carolyn johnson, "abc 7 news." >> still ahead, the ultimate, incredible exhibited that s0ú8t

an eye popping exhibit on india's royal courts at the asian art museum. don sanchez gives us a look. >> speck spectacle, from artwork to jewelry to clothing. exploring a culture steeped in mystique. >> that is what makes objects come to life. >> great kijs, their lives were extravagant but they were political leaders. >> they had religious duties but

had other duties. >> and patrons looking for ex silence, to detailed wedding dresses and even furniture. this is the throne they would ride. then the iep popping carriage complete in silver. it weighs 3,000 pounds and certainly the highlight of public processions. another one is a necklace of nearly 3,000 die monldz. the yellow diamond is the 7th largest yellow dime die monitored in the world. >> this reflects the lavish lifestyle and shows their immense wealth but also, their absolute power. >> they were the rulers of the kingdom. they were the highest public figures for their people. >> ruling from this, the royal

seat of power. there is a show bizto look as asia reinvents itself. >> the exhibit comes from victoria and albert museum. it will be here through april 8. >> wow! if you want morse on our stories go to our website at abc7news.com. look under the news links on the left side for assignment 7. that is all for this edition of assignment 7. hope you enjoyed it. i'm kristen sze. thank you so much for joining us. we'll see you back here next time. home for the holidays, next at 5:00, bay area troops home from afghanistan get a warm welcome. >> and east bay foundry that is being forced by the government to fire 200 employees.

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