ATKINSON, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Celma Silveira founded her cleaning business, Cleaning By Celma, over six years ago as a way to make money after becoming homeless.
Now Silveira, a single mother, is giving back to her community by offering free house cleanings to cancer patients in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
"When we clean, they feel good," Silveira said. "It's a good feeling to know that I'm giving a good feeling to someone else that needs it."
Silveira is offering her services through her partnership with non-profit Cleaning for a Reason, which tidies up homes for cancer patients across the U.S. and Canada. According to the group's website, they have provided more than $20 million in free services since 2006.
Although the work can be difficult and the hours can be long, Silveira said the impact her service has on patients makes the effort worthwhile.
"Those hours are nothing, nothing compared with the pain that they're going through," Silveira said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.