Lazaro Tapia met his wife, Dalia, in 2002. They quickly became friends, fell in love and married in 2005. They met in the trailer park where they still live to this day.

A lot has happened in the last 17 years, including the addition of 12-year old Alondra and 4-year old Lazaro Jr. They currently rent a small, two-bedroom trailer. The rules of living in the trailer park have only become stricter in the recent years. On top of that, there are leaks, roof problems and electricity issues. Worst of all, the Tapia’s live in constant fear that if a hurricane were to occur, their home could potentially be wiped out.

Alondra attends Indiantown Middle School where she loves sports, especially volleyball. She also maintains excellent grades and her teachers commend her love of learning. Lazaro Jr., has not quite started school yet, but could spend all day at the park if his parents let him. The love of sports clearly runs in the family as both Lazaro and Dalia play soccer in a local community league.

Since 2011, Dalia has worked for Crowder Rods, assembling fishing poles. For 14 years, Lazaro has worked as a house painter for local companies but, wanting to invest in his family’s future, he launched DTL Painting LLC in 2018.

“I now work independently because I believe that, by expanding my business, I will also create a better future for my family,” Lazaro said.

It was through friends that Lazaro and Dalia heard about Habitat for Humanity of Martin County.

“What I am most looking forward to is each of my children having their own bedroom. They have always had to share a room, so having peace of mind that they will each have a dedicated space is something I am very much excited for,” said Dalia.

“I feel so happy because after so long we are one step closer to purchasing a home. I could cry out of happiness because with each passing day I can just picture my children in their own home. This is a great opportunity that Habitat is offering my family and I am so grateful. Thank you to all of you for all of your help and support,” said Lazaro. 

Twenty-five years ago, Guadencio and Lucina Cruz made the difficult decision to leave their hometown of Michoacán, Mexico and begin a new life in the United States. The Cruz family settled in Martin County and raised two daughters in Indiantown.

Guadencio worked in landscaping for many years.  For the past seven years, Lucina has worked as a landscape worker for Palm City Palms & Tropicals. Together they raised two daughters. Their eldest daughter graduated high school, went on to attend college and currently works as a social worker. Following her example, Lismar, the youngest daughter is currently going to college at Indian River State College and pursuing a nursing degree.

Throughout this time, the Cruz has family has lived in a very old, beaten up trailer.

“My family and I are seeking something better than our trailer. We have been living there for 15 years and I want something I can pass down to my daughters,” said Guadencio.

It was two years ago that family friends encouraged the Cruz family to inquire about purchasing a home through Habitat for Humanity of Martin County. A visit to the administrative offices led Guadencio and Lucina to submit an application for homeownership.

“I feel very happy and excited about becoming a Habitat homeowner. Just knowing we will have our own home soon is a blessing. I am also excited about being able to decorate the home with my daughter,” said Lucina. “I want to thank Habitat for Humanity of Martin County for this opportunity.”

For the past two years, the Krumfolz family has called a dilapidated, modified workshop behind a trailer, “home.” With only a curtain to separate the single bedroom from the rest of the living quarters and a single, decade-old window A/C unit, it was what the Krumfolz’s could afford. Both native Floridians, Michael and Sissy met as high school sweethearts and reconnected again in college. They married in February 2016 and welcomed their son, William, one year later.

Michael has worked as a Bio-Diesel Technician for Genuine Bio-Fuel in Indiantown for three years. Sissy is working in her dream field of marine biology as a Saltwater Aquarist at Fintastic Aquariums in Jensen Beach for more than five years. Michael and Sissy stagger their work schedules to make sure one of them is always home with 2-year-old William. With an exponentially increasing vocabulary and a love of the outdoors, William keeps his mom and dad on their toes!

When Sissy’s mother came across as sign announcing the site of future Habitat for Humanity of Martin County homes, she encouraged Sissy to apply for homeownership.

“Upon initially applying, I never thought we would get approved. Like most things in our life, it seemed too good to be true,” Sissy said. “I never thought in a million years that such good fortune as getting accepted would come our way but I’m proud to say that we have been so blessed.”  

As strong believers in hard work and not accepting handouts, Michael and Sissy are greatly appreciative of the hand-up they are receiving.

“We love working hard, getting physical and getting our hands dirty, being part of the community, and making a real       difference in the lives of those around us,” Michael said.

The Krumfolz’s are hard at work on their required 300 hours of sweat equity and attending classes before purchasing their home in Stuart.

“Becoming a homeowner will change our story for the better. This will improve daily life inconceivably in the smallest ways. We will not be infested with mold and giant mosquitos, my son can have his own room, and we will not be fighting the heat with a 10-year-old window air conditioning unit,” Sissy said about the opportunity to own their own home. “It will allow us to divert our money to important things such as health care, insurance, etc. that we cannot afford at the time. It is a guarantee that we can stay in the place that our hearts love for the rest of our lives. We look forward to being lifelong partners of Habitat for Humanity. We are so grateful for the sponsors, donors, and volunteers that made this all possible.”

Hello. I would like to introduce myself and tell you a little of myself and my story. My name is Altagracia Reyes Sergent. I was born in the Dominican Republic. I grew up in my country alongside my family of six. Life was not average in my country; we struggled to make ends meet.

I lived most of my life in the Dominican Republic, where I became a mother as a young adult.  I had a daughter and named her Aris Yokasta Laurence. I was still figuring out who I was, as a person. One day, I had a friend who told me about the U.S. and of her plans to move. The things she has told me painted an image in my head of how wonderful our lives could be there. She invited me to go along with her. I thought long and hard about what I should do because I was no longer thinking for myself, but also for my daughter. I accepted my friend’s offer and made the heartbreaking decision to leave my baby in the care of my family. I knew making the travel was not safe for her; it wasn’t even safe for me.  I traveled with my friend from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and arrived in the U.S. in January 2003.

I have now been living in Indiantown for 15 years. I love my small town where everyone is polite and will greet you, without knowing who you are. I have been living alone for quite a few years now; I’ve come to learn to appreciate it. I am an independent woman working and providing for myself.

My daughter, Aris, is now 34 years old. My family has raised her into a wonderful woman. She was able to go to school and study, she loved writing. Now she has a family of her own. We were able to reunite in the U.S. We have become close and she has blessed me with 3 wonderful grandchildren. My daughter is a strong woman and enjoys cooking. My grandchildren are always telling me that I have to eat her food when I see them.

As time went by I felt as if things were slowly coming together for me. The only thing I couldn’t seem to fix is my living situation. I am currently renting a bedroom from a local family. The home has a lot of electrical/maintenance problems. The air conditioner is constantly breaking down and the home gets really hot. We go days in the summer without the AC. Lizards are always getting into the house and I am terrified of them. I am constantly waking up, afraid that I will find one in my bed. I was at the point, where I began to look for another family to rent a bedroom from until I applied with Habitat for Humanity of Martin County.

I come from an average-sized family. I am the second oldest of four. My oldest brother passed away in 1993. From my family, I would be the first to own a home. They are all very proud and supportive of me. They all know I have come a long way. I have been working at Cal-Maine foods for the past three years. It is a wonderful job. I work in the evenings, so I am able to do my errands during the day. I am an “egg packer”, responsible for checking to make sure the products are labeled correctly and to pack the product in the containers. In my free time, I go to the Catholic Church. I was raised on the Catholic faith. I also get together with my family during my free time. We love to get together and eat tons of food. We cook all sorts of dishes and catch up on things.

Owning my own home is one of my biggest goals. It is all I ever wished for; being able to come home to my own place from a long day of work and doing what I please. Whether it’s taking a nice shower without waiting my turn or relaxing on my own sofa and watching a movie, doing what I please in my own place is not a luxury I have enjoyed. I have always had roommates and had to wait my turn to use the bathroom or to use the kitchen to cook my food.

I heard of the Habitat for Humanity program from people all over town. It was a big discussion for everyone when Habitat for Humanity began construction near the Boys and Girls Club. I was very interested and submitted an application. Unfortunately, I did not meet the requirements at first and was not eligible. I waited several months and worked to become eligible by doing what was recommended to me. Once I felt confident, I reached out to Mrs. Sonia Snyder and resubmitted my application. This time around I was blessed with wonderful news of being accepted. I feel very fortunate to be able to have a Habitat for Humanity home. It is a huge deal for me and it means a lot. It is a big accomplishment. I am very thankful that there is an organization like Habitat for Humanity for people like me. They make it possible to become a homeowner.

I am happy to finally have something of my own. Becoming a homeowner would make a huge change in my life. It would make my life happier and easier. Also, my family can visit with much more joy and ease. I will forever be grateful to the organization and the people of the Habitat for Humanity of Martin County. Thank you.

Welcome to our family! Our names are Antonio and Estela Castaneda. We are a family of seven, which is a pretty big family.  Myra, our oldest daughter is 28 years old. She has a family of her own now. Her grandmother raised her into a beautiful, well rounded, young woman. We were still able to support her and pay for the education she deserved in Mexico. Myra loves to cook and makes a living cooking meals for others. She can cook up a storm of all sorts of dishes and you would love every single one. Even though we are miles apart we keep in touch and are very close.

Antonio is now 26 years old. He graduated from South Fork High School. He enjoyed every subject in school, but his favorite was carpentry. He loved learning how to use all the equipment and making furniture from start to finish. Since graduating, he has begun a family of his own. He is now working full-time along with his girlfriend and has a smart little 4-year old daughter, Jocelyn, who will soon be in kindergarten.

Omar also attended and graduated from South Fork High School. He is now 25 years old. History was his favorite subject in school. He is still continuing to learn as he currently attends Indian River State College for his Associate’s degree. He is also working at the local YMCA. He loves working with children and the parents adore him.

Jose is now 21 years old. As a little boy he sure did keep our hands full as he was very active. He graduated from South Fork High School in 2015. His favorite part of school was being involved in sports, playing football and soccer. He also enjoyed math class. It was his favorite subject.  He is now working full-time. He has shown us he is a hardworking, independent young man.

Isabel is 19 years old and recently graduated from, you guessed it, South Fork High School in 2018. Isabel is a very special girl. Although she graduated from high school, she will be returning to high school for the 2018/2019 school year as part of a self-contained program at the school with teachers who can help Isabel and other developmentally delayed students learn at their pace. They continue to help and prepare her for everyday situations. Her favorite program in school is Art and Culinary class. She enjoys the hands on activities.

Seeing our children grow into the young adults they have become is one of our greatest achievements. We are currently renting a 3-bedroom home. It is a very nice home, but overly expensive. We are just getting by and making ends meet. My wife and I both come from big families. I have two sisters and one brother. Estela has one brother and four sisters. We would both be the first in our families to become homeowners. Since coming to the U.S, Estela and I have worked each and every day to achieve our dreams. I have been working for the same company, Indianwood Golf & Country Club, for 12 years. Estela been tending to Isabela’s needs, caring for her and managing her doctor’s appointments.

Our biggest goal for our family is to own a home. We heard of the Habitat for Humanity program from a Habitat homeowner in Carter Park. Once we were approved and started the process, our dream started to come to light. We are near the end of our journey and a bit closer to owning our own home. We are looking forward to finally having stability. Becoming a home owner will definitely change our lives for the better. My wife and I will feel accomplished and proud that we were able to provide what we have always dreamed of for our family.

Alma Farias has spent the past twelve years working with the Martin County School District Head Start Program in Indiantown. Her daughters Katelyn, 16, and Kimberly, 12, are active in their schools, play sports and enjoy hanging out with their cousins and friends.

             Now, for the first time, they can call themselves homeowners.

Gone are the days of living in a home where space was limited. They are past the days of government subsidized rental housing. For the Farias’ the dream of becoming self-sufficient has come true.

“We are super excited to be home owners. It means so much to us because we will finally have a home to call our own,” Alma said. “I thought Habitat for Humanity would be a great opportunity for us    because it could be something I could afford on my own.”

Farias is a lifelong Martin County resident. She understands the importance of raising your family in a community that features great schools and offers the chance to build upon your past successes. That is one of the reasons she is so excited to move into Carter Park and start building upon the strength that comes with owning your own home.

“We are very family oriented. As a family we try to be there to support each other at any our special events,” Alma said. “My girls are my everything. I want to give them everything that I didn't have growing up. I want them to do better than what I did.”

That’s why when Janet Rosado, who purchased a previous Women Build home, suggested Alma apply at Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, Alma jumped at the opportunity.

As she worked her way through the process of becoming a homeowner, accruing the sweat equity hours and attending classes, she began to dream about the possibility. Decorating a house of her own was one of the goals that kept her going.

Now, the dream has become a reality.

“Owning our own home will make a huge difference,” she said. “I feel like I finally have something to pass down to my children.”

Dedicated on Dec 1, 2018

Angela Barragan Farias came to the Martin County in 1999 in search of a “better future for her kids”. Born and raised in San Diego, Jalisco, Mexico with six brothers and four sisters, Farias has been renting a place to live in Martin County since 1999.

             Her current living space, which she shares with her 16-year old daughter, Cindy Barillas Farias, is a  2-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment with air conditioning problems, a leaky ceiling (pieces of which occasionally fall to the floor) and a stove which doesn’t work all the time. Substandard conditions by any stretch of the imagination, yet Angela considers herself “blessed because I have a place to live”.

She originally learned of the Habitat for Humanity of Martin County homeownership program when she saw a sign in the Indiantown library in 2012 but didn’t qualify for a new home at that time.

“I followed what Habitat told me I needed to do to qualify,” she said. “I didn’t give up. I worked hard and, last year, I applied and, this time, I qualified.”

Since then, Angela and Cindy have been working on accruing the required 300 sweat equity hours she needs to be able to purchase her own home. In between time on the work site and in the classroom, they attend Holy Cross Church in Indiantown, go to the movies and enjoy family dinners together.

In keeping with her community mindedness, Angela is involved in her church and sells food and  tickets to collect money for the Lady of Guadalupe.

But her goal of finally becoming a homeowner is never far from her mind. In fact, when she finally purchases her home, she will be the last of her 10 siblings to own their own house. A true dream come true.

“All the work I have done is paying off. I’m proud to soon be a homeowner,” Angela said. “It will make a big difference because it will be my home. I will be able to decorate it my way. Now I can say that, if one day I’m gone, I will have something to give to my daughter.”

Dedicated on Oct 27, 2018

Though they were both born in Guatemala, just two years apart, Miguel Pablo-Francisco and Leticia Perez-Velasquez took different paths before they were able to realize their dream together.

Miguel moved to Martin County when he was 2-years old. Leticia was in her early 20’s when she made her way here from her homeland. But, when they met each other fourteen years ago at work, they knew they had stumbled onto something special.

Now, Miguel, Leticia and their three kids: Sandy, 12; Angel, 9; and Katelyn, 6 are ready to embark upon the most exciting chapter of their lives.

“We have been dreaming that one day we will have our own home.  Finally our dreams have become a reality,” Miguel said.

Like many other partner families in Carter Park, Miguel and Leticia heard about Habitat for Humanity from friend and Habitat homeowner, Ana Morales. They decided the chance to move from their tiny, two-bedroom home with “very high rent” and leaky air conditioner was worth all the hard work and dedication it takes to complete the Habitat homeownership process.

For Leticia, she will be the first person in her family to purchase their own home.

“Now that we are going to have our own home, my son and two daughters are going to have their own room, more space,” Miguel said. “It will be a better future for our family and a better life. God has given us a gift.”

Besides the additional space, one of the most important aspects of owning your own home is the positive effect it has on children and their schoolwork. Sandy likes technology and playing volleyball, while Angel is into soccer and basketball. Katelyn likes to read and play with her dolls.

All three are looking forward to having more room study and more free time to play with other children in the neighborhood.

When Miguel is not at his job at Brooker Painting, where he has worked since 2015, the family attends Holy Cross Catholic Church in Indiantown and enjoys spending time at the park playing soccer, going to the beach and shopping.

But first they get to move into and decorate their new home.

“We are grateful to Habitat for Humanity of Martin County and all the volunteers for all the hard work they did for us,” Miguel said. “We wouldn’t to be able to build our home without their help.  We will always have all of you in our prayers. “

Dedicated on June 16, 2018

Dyana Patricia Dominguez Amado lives with her three children in a trailer that has two small        bedrooms and a tiny bathroom. That means she has her own room and her 16-year old son, Erick, has his own room. Daughters Ashley, 9, and Leslie, 3, share a sleeper sofa in the living room.

Dyana was introduced to Habitat for Humanity of Martin County by Erica Barrios, another Habitat homeowner. Erica told her how great the program was and thought it would be perfect for Dyana and her children.

“I decided to apply because my children need a house and, with my income, this program is perfect for me,” Dyana said. “I could not afford to buy a house where I would have to pay interest. The mortgage payments would be much higher for me.”

For the past four years, Dyana has worked for a company cleaning homes. The long hours take up a lot of what would be her free time with the children, but she makes up for that with trips to the park so they can run and play. They attend Holy Cross Catholic Church on the weekends.

Dyana moved to Florida from Obregon Sonora, Mexico 17 years ago. She has three sisters who live in Tijuana who own their own homes, but she will be the first in her family to own a home in the United States.

“Words cannot describe how happy and grateful I feel because my children are going to have their own rooms, their privacy, more space and a beautiful place to call home,” she said. “It means the world to me, being a single mother and still being able to give my children a better life.”

Dyana and the children already have plans for the first thing they want to do when they move into their new house.

“I hope first to furnish it as beautiful as possible so my children feel comfortable, happy and safe,” she said. “We are becoming homeowners and accomplishing the American dream. I will continue to work hard to achieve each of my goals. Thank you for making those dreams come true. Thank you for helping us build our beautiful home and making us feel good through the whole process. I thank you with all my heart.”

Ignacio Perez-Abad and Ermelinda Francisco-Domingo met at work 10 years ago and have been married for six.

They have spent the past nine years living in government subsidized housing, sharing four bedrooms with their five children, aged 15 years to 22 months. The air conditioning in two of the bedrooms doesn’t work and there are some plumbing issues.

Perhaps the most troubling thing for Ignacio and Ermelinda is all the wasted money they have to spend just to be able to live.

To do laundry, for example, requires a bag of quarters and a trip to the local laundromat. Besides all the time and energy required just to wash their clothes, there is the stress of managing that around five children.

To top it all off, the rent they pay for four room apartment with faulty plumbing and half-working air conditioning is $10 more than they will pay for their mortgage in their new Habitat home.

“The stress of spending money in the laundromat is going to be gone.  Now we can save only money and time,” they said. “We will be able to do the laundry in our home not more hours spend twice a week at the laundry mat.  Time we can spend together with our children at home.”

The chance to own their home represents freedom for Ignacio, who came to Martin County from Mexico 27 years ago, and Ermelinda, who moved here from Guatemala 20 years ago.

“We are very excited to finally accomplish one of our biggest dreams and become homeowners.
Finally, we do not have to worry about changing jobs and have an increase on our income and lose the home we are renting,” they said. “We will be able to give our family stability, feel proud of raising our family in our own home.  Now we can have our own garden because in the rental home we are not allowed to have plants.”

Their new home in Carter Park will give them the opportunity to make a lot of changes in their lives. Ignacio can now seek a higher paying job without fear of his income pricing them out of government housing. Ermelinda can become a homemaker and raise her five children. And the family can have more time to enjoy doing what they love to do.

“We love to spend time together in the park or any place where the children can run and play,” she said. “Life is going to be less stressful for us.”

Imagine living in an apartment and having to worry each year that you may actually make too much money and be forced to move out. Imagine trying to raise a family but trying to keep your income within the limits that will allow you to maintain stability in your government housing.

                 That is the tightrope Pablo and Blanca Montejo have walked for several years -- raising four children under the shadow of eviction for being too successful.

Those days are gone forever.

When they talk about the most important part of purchasing their own Habitat home, the Montejo point to the freedom to succeed.

“We will no longer worry every single year if the landlord will or will not renew our lease because our income might increase and disqualify us,” they said. “We are very happy that, at last, we are going to be homeowners. We are also happy because my daughters are going to have their own room and we will also have two bathrooms and our own washer and dryer. We are happy because we are the first and only ones who are going to live in OUR home, in which we are going to create new memories with our daughters.”

The Montejos have four daughters: Maria, 21; Odilia, 18; Abelina, 16 and Adelia, 11.

Pablo and Blanca met while growing up in the same village in Guatemala. He immigrated to the United States in 1988, finding work in Martin County. They were married in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2012 that he was able to get all the paperwork in order to bring the entire family here to join him.

Pablo is a machine operator at the Phillips and Jordan Company, where he has worked for the past 14 years.

When the family is not home, you can find they at the Seventh Day Adventist Church or out playing basketball or taking family walks in the park. Other than that, the activities of three school-aged children keep them plenty busy.

“We are very happy. Owning a home has been a dream for our family,” Pablo said. “We weren’t sure it would ever be a reality until Norma Garcia, who is a Habitat homeowner, told us about Habitat and, thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, it is happening.”

“Ecstatic” is the word Korrine McKnight uses when she describes her and children’s thoughts about becoming Habitat for Humanity of Martin County homeowners. It has been a long, sometimes hard, road for McKnight and her children, but the payoff is well worth the setbacks she said.

             Korrine, 28, a Martin County native grew up in a home with eight brothers and sisters. She will be the first of those siblings to own her own home.

Korrine went to school and has been working at the Florida Health Community Center as a  Registered Medical Assistant. Currently, she and her two children, Adriana, 10, and Adrian, 7, are living in a three-bedroom home, with six other occupants.

“I am ecstatic to become a Habitat homeowner,” she said. “Nothing in the world could compare to me providing a firm foundation for my children.”

Those children love to have movie nights with their mom and play at the local park. Adriana has a wide variety of interests, including track and field, computer club, art club and music class. Adrian likes cars, airplanes and Legos – “Mommy’s little architect,” as Korrine calls him.

“The one thing they have is common is they both share Mommy’s heart,” she said.

Korrine first heard about Habitat for Humanity of Martin County from people in her community. When she first applied, she did not get approved. Nor did she get discouraged.

“That did not stop me,” she said. “Whatever was needed, I pushed forward to get it done. Today, look where I am. Ready to start a new endeavor.”

She reapplied and was approved, kicking off one of the most exciting chapters in her life.

“My heart races from the thought that when my children look at me they see Mommy the super  hero. It means the world to me,” Korrine said. “For me, nothing is taken for granted. I give thanks always. Being a Habitat homeowner will make an enormous difference in my and my children’s lives. We are looking forward to the first step in our new beginning.”

Her entire life, Bernarda Dominguez was a businesswoman, running food businesses in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the United States.

Then she got sick in 2002. And again in 2006, when her heart stopped for a few seconds. And then again in 2016 when thrombosis put her in Intensive Care for seven days. Thanks to two subsequent strokes, Bernanda does not have 100 percent use of her right arm.

None of that, however, has dampened her desire to get back to work.

“I thank God I am still alive and want to continue to struggle to keep working,” the 68-year old mother of five said. “I am a business woman. I plan to start walking without assistance and  continue my business and enjoy my new Habitat home with my daughter.”

Bernarda’s daughter is Martha Dominguez, a widowed mother of four who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1989.

Martha, 51, has worked at Club Med as a housekeeper for the past 10 years. She and her mother applied together for a Habitat home so she could better tend to Bernarda’s needs.

“She told me before I got sick that I could not continue to live alone,” Bernanda said. “We applied and got approved for a Habitat home and a couple months later I had the thrombosis.   Everything happens for a reason.”

Both women enjoy eating at local restaurants in their free time or spending time together at home with the rest of the family.

Bernanda has taken advantage of the Kane Center’s Adult day Club while she is rehabilitating. She enjoys the opportunity to be in a social setting, playing bingo and regaining her independence.

She said she is looking forward to sitting on the porch of her new home, feeling the breeze and, for the first time in a long time, not have to wonder how the trailer they are living in will hold up during hurricane season.

Martha said owning her own home is a dream coming true.

“I always dreamed of becoming a homeowner and now my hard work and perseverance has really paid off,” she said. “I feel very happy to be a Habitat homeowner. At the Homebuyer Education Workshops I learned many things I did not know that will help us to become great  homeowners. Thank you to everyone at Habitat for Humanity of Martin County for giving me this great opportunity. I am very happy and grateful. Many people do not have the happiness of being homeowners.”

Becoming Habitat homeowners isn’t so much a dream come true for Alfredo Cornejo and Irais Ortiz, it’s the end of a nightmare.

             Alfredo, Irais and their two young children have been living in a trailer where rainwater has caused the walls to become soft and the floor to rot through. Directly next to the trailer is a septic tank which   overflows whenever it rains, creating dirty puddles and an unbearable stench.

Needless to say, this was not the dream Alfredo and Irais had when they moved to America from Mexico.

That will all change when they move into their Habitat home.

Santiago, 6, and Valeria, 4, will finally have a clean yard to play in. Alfredo and Irais will finally have peace of mind and be able to begin saving for their children’s futures.

“We will feel more secure and stable,” Alfredo said. “Just being more comfortable and knowing that our children will have their own space and, finally, stability.”

Alfredo works in Stuart as a house painter and driver, a job he has had for two years. Irais has worked in the cafeteria at a middle school in Palm Beach County for the past two years.

Santiago attends elementary school, where has proven to be very sociable, all about animal documentaries and excels in math. Valeria is in preschool and has impressed her teachers with her ability to care for other children and stand up for what is right.

“She is very protective and does not like injustice,” Alfredo said. “Santiago’s favorites are dinosaurs and math.”

Irais and Alfredo learned of the Habitat program through a co-worker and realized immediately the family could qualify without any problem. Irais will be the first member of her family to own a house in the United States, something in which both parents take a lot of pride.

“We feel fortunate and grateful that, through Habitat for Humanity, we will have the opportunity to own our home,” Alfredo said. “It means a lot since we will have a safer home and it had been one of our dreams to have a home of our own.”

But they know homeownership isn’t going to be easier.

“We will have more responsibilities as homeowners but, at the same time, we will be making an investment on a home that will belong to us,” he said. “At the same time it is an opportunity to establish permanence in a community. It is great personal satisfaction for us.”

Rigoberto Tomas-Lopez left his hometown of San Pedro Soloma, Huehuetenango, Guatemala and headed to Martin County 17 years ago, looking for a better opportunity to live and help his family, financially, back home.

                 Each day he leaves his uncle’s two-bedroom home (which he shares with four other people) and heads to work at Jupiter Country Club. He doesn’t mind the 25-mile, one-way trip, because it gives him time to clear his head and “enjoy the fresh air and sunrises”, he said.

Those wide open spaces are a change for him because, as he said, “we live really uncomfortable because our home is very small”.

One of the first things Rigoberto, 39, did when he moved to Martin County is join the Holy Cross Church in Indiantown. Still a thriving member of the parish, he said it is here that his faith has grown in Jesus Christ.

Holy Cross has several ministries designed to help grow the faith in our community. Rigoberto is very active in a ministry that is dedicated to rescuing people who have lost their way in the church.

“These are people who have abandoned their faith, have practically turned away from God,” Rigoberto said. “We do a retreat for three days and many of them come back to the church. My hope is to continue learning and to help others to get better opportunities in their lives.”

When he is not active in his church, Rigoberto spends his free time with friends, eating, celebrating holidays and taking part in many other activities. He learned about the Habitat for Humanity program through a friend and worked for eight years to finally become a homeowner.

“Now I feel too happy because I am finally going to be Homeowner,” he said. “I had this yearning and it finally came true. When I was informed that I was approved for a Habitat home, at first I could not believe that I would become a homeowner. But thanks to God and Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, I have now come to realize my dreams.

“From now on, I will continue working hard for my house to always keep it clean, make my payments in due time and maintain a good relationship with my new neighbors.”

Rigoberto is excited to move into his new neighborhood. During the time he was gathering his Sweat Equity hours, he got the chance to meet and work next to his future neighbors.

“I can say that we have interacted very well during the time I have known them, and that fills me with great joy,” Rigoberto said. “My neighbors are my new family.”

Lazaro Tapia and Gloria Aguirre have known each other their entire lives. From the playground and sitting next to each other in desks in elementary school in San Lucas Michoacan, Mexico to working the fields in North Carolina, Lazaro and Gloria have been together forever.

                  “I think we have been together all our lives,” Lazaro said. ”First we were friends, later came the courtship and we were married in 1984. We have 33 years of marriage and I hope to continue next to my wife for many more years.” Through 33 years of marriage and four children, the one thing they have never done together is own their own home. Until now.

As they move into their new Habitat home, Lazaro and Gloria are able to focus on the bright future – for them and their children – and finally forget about the dreadful living conditions they have endured.

“The place where we live is a trailer. We have always had problems with lights and plumbing,” Lazaro said. “The breakers keep going off because we have four window air conditioning units and the light bill comes in very   expensive every month. The plumbing has also given us problems even though I have repaired it several times.”

All of that is in the past now and Lazaro and Gloria settle into their new home and help their middle daughter, Mayra, achieve a dream of her own.

Mayra, 26, is legally blind but has overcome that adversity to study at Indian River State College. Her goal is to become a Braille teacher when she finishes her studies. Her dream is to be approved for a guide dog, something that she has been unsuccessful at previously because of the tight living conditions of the trailer. Hopefully, with the move into the Habitat house, a guide dog will soon be a reality.

 Lazaro will continue to work at Anderson Construction (as he has for the past 16 years) as a painter, while Gloria will maintain the home and care for Mayra.

In their spare time, they like to spend time at the beach and at soccer games. Their oldest daughter, Dora  Nely, is a competitive soccer player, almost making the Mexican national team for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

We are happy to have the opportunity to become homeowners and have a better quality of life. It is very beautiful that our dreams are coming true because we have always dreamed of having a home,” Lazaro said. “What we look forward to the most in our new home is that our daughter, Mayra will have more space to move around and will not fall again on the stairs. Now she can apply and, hopefully, be approved for a guide dog. In our new home we will have a better quality life.”

Tandra Islam

Tandra Islam has lived in Martin County for the past 10 years, moving here from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She currently works during the day for the Martin County School District as a pre-kindergarten ESE teacher. In the afternoons, Tandra works at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County 10-year old and up students.

She currently lives with her mother and two children, Safqaat, 6 and Tanjila, 10 in a two-bedroom apartment. When she purchases her Habitat home, she will be the first member of her family to own her own home.

When Tandra is not working, she and her family attend the Islamic Center of Palm Beach mosque in West Palm Beach. Both of her children enjoy playing soccer and they like to spend their spare time at the YMCA roller skating and doing gymnastics.

One of Tandra’s colleagues at Port Salerno Elementary told her about the Habitat for Humanity of Martin County homebuyer program. When she first applied to be a homebuyer in April 2010 she was told she would have to clean up some financial issues before she could proceed. Three years later she returned and has continued through the process.

“I actually started working on my credit in order to get it to be looking good and have been able to pay    everything on time,” she said. “Now, I am very focused on all of my bills.”

That focus has led Tandra and her children to the doorstep of their own home. A home which she hopes will provide stability for her children as they move through the school system. Not that they need that much help with their studies, Tanjila was the youngest student at the District Spelling Bee and finished fourth overall.

For her part, Tandra will spend the first few months in her home finishing the tests that will lead to her teaching certificate.

“My main hope is to be a great Habitat for Humanity homeowners and I hope to build a better life for myself and for my kids,” Tandra said.

Courtney Burkhardt was born in Queens, New York. She started elementary school in New York, but moved with her mother to South Florida, where she hoped to find a more affordable cost of living and better schools. They found Martin County and fell in love with Stuart and have lived here for 17 years.

Courtney is a full time mom, living with her two children in a small apartment in South Stuart. Her son Harlon, is six and in kindergarten at Seawind Elementary School. Her daughter Haylen, is four and in preschool at Gertrude Walden Childcare Center.

Courtney works as a bookkeeper for a small impact window and door company located in Stuart. She has been with the company for three years. Prior to this she worked eight years for Ruby Tuesday in Palm City. She continues to pursue a degree in social work.

She and her family are members of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Palm City.

For hobbies, the family prefers to be outdoors and especially near the water. They spend their summer weekends at the pool or the beach. Harlon does judo and plays T-ball while Haylen loves gymnastics.

Courtney heard about the Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program through Daniel Boring, a Habitat employee. She researched what Daniel told her, found out about other families that Habitat had helped and talked with her children’s grandmother to ask her advice. She was surprised to find that her children’s grandmother had obtained her home through the Habitat Homeownership Program.

She knew that as her children grew they would need more living space and, with rent prices climbing, her options were limited. After looking into the program and hearing about other successful Habitat homeowners she was willing to take all the necessary steps to try to get a home for her family.  She felt this might solve many of her problems and be a perfect fit for her. Courtney filled out the application to see what would happen and months later, she was approved for a home.

Courtney wants to give back to her community for all that she has received by volunteering her services and teaching her children the importance of hard work and how it can help them achieve their personal goals.

Courtney says, “I feel very grateful to be approved for a home. It means that I can give my children a sense of stability and a home big enough to grow up in and to make many wonderful memories. For myself, it means having a sense of independence and something I can call my own. I am looking forward to a time when we won’t have to move anymore. Our home will be something to build on and my children will finally have a place they can call home.”

Taneka Hall is a single mother of four children; Keasia, 12; Omarion, 10; Shaire, 7 and Harmony, 6. She works hard to raise her family, economizing and being smart with her money to provide the most opportunities for her children.

 Taneka was born in Stuart but she moved to Pahokee when she was three. Her stepmother raised her and was the most influential person in her life. She returned to Martin County in 2012 to help take care of her biological mother.

The Hall family has lived in subsidized housing for four years, where they are forced to confront many limits that often do not contribute to a secure and happy family life.

The landlord at her subsidized housing told her about the Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program and she decided to contact Habitat to see if she could qualify. She went through the qualifying process and didn’t really believe she would get a home until she started her first homeownership class. This experience made it very real for her.

Taneka has worked for the Martin County School District’s Head Start Program as a substitute teacher for the past three years. She enjoys her work with the children.

The Hall family belongs to the New Zion Baptist Church. This family likes to spend free time watching a movie, cleaning house or attending Omarion’s football games.

She is the first person in her family to own a home and she is overwhelmed and overjoyed all at the same time. She never dreamed that she would ever own a home for herself and her family. She and her children are very grateful to everyone that has volunteered and worked to make this happen for them.

“I am looking forward to moving into my new home and enjoying it with my children. It will be very gratifying to me to see the smiles on their faces when they see all that they will have in this new home,” Taneka said. “Habitat for Humanity has warmed our hearts.”

David Carbajal and Marbel Gutierrez heard about the Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program from Marbel’s brother and sister-in-law who were working toward qualifying for a home of their own. Both couples were eventually qualified and they are building their homes at the same time. They are excited about becoming neighbors.

David Carbajal was born in Fresno, CA and moved to Martin County when he was five years old. Marbel was born in Mexico and came to Martin County when she was fifteen years old. They married in December of 2013.

The couple rented an apartment in Joseph Lee Gardens in Indiantown, but the rent increased and the apartment became too high for their budget. They now rent a bedroom in the St. Lucie Mobile Village Park while they wait for their home to be completed.

They have two children, Mayda, 7, and David, 17 months. Mayda attends Hope Rural School and will be entering the Second Grade when school starts this fall.  The family likes to go for walks, eat ice cream and spend time with their extended family. The time spent helping to build their new home keeps them busy. They look forward to helping future Habitat families build their homes.

David works as a painter at Ryan Baum Painting. He has been with that company for five years. Marbel works in the cafeteria for the Indiantown Head Start Program. She loves her job because she enjoys working with the children. 

Once David and Marbel learned what the criteria and requirements were they felt that they could be a good fit for the program and that they would be great homeowners.

Marbel said: “We always dreamed of owning a home and feel blessed and grateful to Habitat for Humanity for giving us the opportunity, not only to become homeowners, but to have it happen so quickly. We would like to thank all the groups, organizations, staff and volunteers who one way or another helped us build our home. At the construction site we always had someone to show us how to do the different jobs and at the Habitat Homeowners Education Workshop we learned about budget, credit, banking, homeowner insurance, home maintenance and much more to help us become successful homeowners.” 

Once they have moved into their new home they are looking forward to becoming dependable Habitat homeowners by paying their mortgage on time, being courteous to their neighbors and ambassadors for Habitat for Humanity.

Rommel Lopez Gutierrez and Gabriela Loredo are moving into their new three bedroom Habitat for Humanity home. They are very excited to be homeowners and will have a safe and secure place to raise their children, Joseph Lopez Loredo, 7, and Coralie Lopez Loredo, 2. They cannot wait to have the key to their new home in their hands.

Rommel arrived in Martin County in 1999, hoping to provide a more stable life for himself and his parents.  Gabriela moved here in 2004, as her parents felt Martin County would provide her with a better life and that she would have many more opportunities here. Gabriela and her parents moved into the St. Lucie Mobile Village in Indiantown which happened to be where Rommel lived. They became neighbors, saw their relationship flourish and married in 2008.

After they married Rommel and Gabriela moved to an apartment in Stuart, but the rent became too           expensive and they bought a trailer at the St. Lucie Mobile Village. Rommel has works as a painter for Premium   Painters for the past four years and Gabriela has worked in the cafeteria at Warfield Elementary School for three years.

Rommel and Gabriela are members of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Indiantown. They have been busy working and raising a family and, once they are settled in their new home, Gabriela hopes to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Martin County to mentor other families who will be moving into Carter Park. She sees this as a way to give back for all that has been done for her family. She also feels that this will build friendships in her new community.

When Gabriela and Rommel have free time they like to spend it together. They go to the park or the movies and spend time with their parents.

They heard about the Habitat for Humanity of Martin County housing program from a friend. She told them how great the program was and the importance of investing in their family’s future.

When construction began on their home Rommel and Gabriela began to believe that this was actually going to happen for them and they were thrilled. They have enjoyed meeting the volunteers and staff that have made this miracle of homeownership come true. They will be forever grateful and want to give back in return for what they have received.

For the past eight years Francisco and Norma Garcia, along with their three children Alejandro, 8, Daniel, 6 and Litzy, 3, have lived in a trailer park in Indiantown. The trailer does not have central air conditioning, so the family uses window air conditioners. Regardless, the trailer is very hot, especially in the summer. During the winter, when it is cold outside, the trailer is even colder inside. The roof is in bad shape and, when it rains, there are leaks. The walls are full of termites.  The Garcias do not feel secure in the park. Their car windows have been broken twice and the windows on the trailer once. They installed bars on the windows for security, but now they worry about a fire because, if the front door is blocked, they won’t be able to get out of the trailer.

Francisco works as a boat builder for LH Boats. He has done this work for many years, while Norma is a homemaker and has her hands full caring for three small children.

In their spare time they love to spend time together, going to the park with the children, shopping or spending time with their extended family. They have been members of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Indiantown for nine years.

Their main focus right now is helping to complete their new home and, once moved in, making it their own, little by little.

Norma says, “We are really excited about becoming homeowners. We did not have any hope of owning our own home, much less owning a brand new home. We are happy because our children will not be suffering from the hot or the cold inside our home. Most of all for the first time in the last eight years we are going to feel safe and secure. No more worries about all the crime around us or living in a home with so many problems. It has been a great experience helping to build our home and the home of other future Habitat Homeowners. We had the opportunity to work along with and get to know the volunteers who came to the construction site to help us build and we learned many skills that will help us maintain our new home. We cannot wait for the dedication and the day we finally have the keys to our home in our hands. That day our dream of owning our own home will become a reality.”

Elias and Ana Morales Mazariegos are originally from Tacanaza San Marco, Guatemala. Elias moved to the United States for employment in 1990 and settled in Indiantown. He made frequent trips back to Tacanaza San Marco to visit family. During one of his trips back to his hometown he met Ana Morales and they were married in 2000. Elias returned to the United States and began the paperwork to bring Ana to the US.
 

By the time Ana was granted permission in 2013 to come to the US she and Elias had three children. Yaquelin was born in 2002, Mairlena was born in 2004 and Elias Jr. in 2012. It was a joyous family reunion when Elias’s family was finally granted permission to join him in the US.
 

For the past three years Elias has worked for the Grassroots Corporation of the Palm Beaches as a driver/landscape worker. He has been involved in landscaping since he moved to the USA.  Ana is a homemaker and keeps busy taking care of the children. Elias’s long work hours put her in charge of the home and children most of the time.
 

The family belongs to Holy Cross Catholic Church and volunteers to visit and pray with parishioners that are sick. It was here that they saw a presentation done about the Habitat for Humanity Homeowner Program.

The family is very excited and happy to be together after living apart for so many years. Becoming homeowners is a dream comes true. All of Elias’s hard work and planning to bring his family together has paid off with this new home. Elias and Ana know that owning their own home will be a big responsibility, but one that is well worth it. They are thankful for the wonderful Habitat volunteers that have helped them in many ways to build their home. Now they will have a beautiful, permanent place to raise their children and give them the opportunity to grow up happy, healthy and successful. 

Carmen Dominguez was born in Boston, Massachusetts thirty seven years ago. She moved to Stuart when she was one year old and then to Indiantown when she was six.  She graduated in 1996 from South Fork High School.

Carmen has worked for Rines IGA Market in Indiantown for 19 years. She is a cashier, supervisor and works at the service desk. Mr. and Mrs. Harde are her Habitat home sponsors and have been supporters of Habitat for Humanity for many years.

Her family lives in Martin County, but she is the first to look forward to owning her own home. She lives with her two children Alberto, 17, and Lizandra, 14. Both of her children are outstanding students. They have been involved in the National Junior Honor Society and Student Council. Lizandra received an award for outstanding volunteer from Indiantown Middle School and Alberto is interested in going to college to study digital design.

They are members of Holy Cross Catholic Church where Carmen donates many volunteer hours teaching the first communion and confirmation classes. She also helps with Christmas food and toy drive.

Carmen found out about the Habitat for Humanity program when Sonia Snyder, Habitat’s Family Service Director, dropped off flyers at Rines Market. She contacted Habitat to see if she could qualify and after completing the qualification process she will soon be walking through the front door of her new home.

Owning her own home has been a longtime dream that Carmen didn’t think would ever come true. She has longed for more space and a permanent location for her children, something that belongs to them. Alberto and Lizandra are excited about their home and the added space of a bedroom for each. Something they can call their own. They have all enjoyed helping with the building of the home and can’t wait to move in.

Abraham and Maria Perez each came to the United States with their parents from different cities in Mexico. They call Indiantown there hometown because they have lived there for over 20 years.

On March 22, 2007 Abraham and Maria married and they have four children, Diana 13, J.R. 8, Luis 6, and Leonardo 5. Diana attends Indiantown Middle School. Her siblings attend Warfield Elementary where Diana volunteers in the extended day program.

Maria has worked for the Martin County School District in Indiantown for nine years. For the last five years she has worked for the Parent Resource Center as a member of the support staff. Abraham has worked for Terracon Landscaping Services for the past four years.

Abraham and Maria have extended family in Indiantown. Her sister lives in a Habitat home that will be out her back door and three houses down and her mother and father live very close to Carter Park. The family likes to get together for cookouts and trips to the beach. They are members of Indiantown Holy Cross Catholic Church.

Maria and a coworker volunteer for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. They act as mentors for girls who face adversity. They support their little sisters with whatever their needs are.

Maria and Marcos say “Having volunteers to help build our home is such a warm feeling to know there are still people who are willing to lend a hand to other even for people they do not know. Our family feels blessed to have a home built with kindness and we are very happy to have a house to call our home.  THANK YOU to all who made it possible”.

Andres and Maria Torres are both from Zacatecas, Mexico.  In 1996, Andres became a U.S. resident and lived in Texas with his parents. He often went to Mexico on vacation. In May 2000, Andres and Maria got married in Mexico but shortly after Joseline was born, Andres moved to the U.S to work and support his family.

 Maria had a very complicated pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. Joseline almost died. She no longer wanted to live apart from Andres so, in 2002 Maria, Andres and Joseline moved to Stuart, Two years later Maria was pregnant with Jennifer and diagnosed with diabetes. Five years later she became pregnant with their daughter, Andrea, and again had a complicated pregnancy.

Andres works for the Lucas Marine Company where he uses his carpentry skills to build various marine projects. Maria does not have a job, but stays extremely busy with their three daughters and school courses in citizenship, ESOL and GED

The Torres have three daughters; Josaline ,14, Jennifer 12 and Andrea, 7. Andrea is in first grade at JD Parker, Joseline and Jennifer attend Stuart Middle School and play in the school band. Josaline plays clarinet and Jennifer plays the French horn. The girls are avid readers and love to go to the library. Their parents say they always have a book to read.

Andres loves mechanics and enjoys working on cars in his spare time. Maria likes to garden. They like to take family bike rides and the girls like to play volleyball. They attend church at St Joseph’s, where they are members.

Andres often works six days a week so the whole family has had to pull together to gather the sweat equity hours needed for their Habitat home. Maria has become a very successful ReStore volunteer and the employees love it when she comes by to work. The girls are contributing sweat equity hours by doing well in school and having good grades.  They loved the fact that Habitat credits each one of them 2 hours for every “A” they have in their school report and 1 hour for every “B”. It motivates them to continue doing well at school and makes them feel that they are indirectly helping with the construction of their home too, which makes them very proud.

Andres says that qualifying for a Habitat home is like a dream come true. The dream of one day providing a home for his family seemed impossible to achieve. Now that they are here it means so much to him in many ways. Andres says that owning their own home means he can finally provide his family with safety, security, love and hope, which is why he came to the United States twenty years ago.

The family is grateful for all the help they have received from volunteers and the Habitat staff.

Chenelle Weaver is a Martin County native and has lived in Hobe Sound for thirty one years. She has a one-year-old son, Alijah Levi, who she says is the reason she fights so hard and work so much.  Her goal is to create a positive and structured environment for him.
 

She works for Sandy Pines Residential Treatment Center and really loves her job helping with the patients. She is currently in nursing school at Keiser University and hopes to continue working in psychiatric care helping children and adolescents.

Chenelle’s father, Daniel. Weaver Sr. is the pastor of Faith Temple Church of God in Indiantown where Chenelle sings in the choir. She has two brothers that are pastors.  David Weaver at Stuart Church of God and Raymond Weaver who works with her father.

She planned to model herself after her mother, who she greatly admires. Her mother’s life seemed so perfect. She was a homeowner at a young age, married to the same man for a million years, and never had to work or raise children alone. When Chenelle found out she was expecting her first child she was overwhelmed with joy, thinking that her life would be like her mothers. However, things did not work that way at all. She found herself alone with a six month old son, paying rent, utilities, car payment, insurance, and everything else. She felt like giving up, but then her older sister reminded her about the Habitat for Humanity program and encouraged her to inquire to see if she might qualify.
 

She gave it a try, but was initially rejected. She cried when she was informed that she did not meet the requirements. She left feeling defeated, but then she received a phone call that allowed her to know that God had not forgotten her. Mrs. Sonia Snyder, Family Service Director, introduced her to the Habitat for Humanity of Martin County Homeownership Incubator Lease Purchase Program. This program is designed for potential buyers who need a little more time to get ready for a home purchase. It allows prospective buyers to start the homeownership process while taking the time needed to save the money and/or work on minor to moderate credit issues.  She accepted.

Chenelle says this journey of becoming a homeowner has taught her so much. Before this experience she was unaware of the strength she possessed. Now she can say that with the help and guidance of her WEAVER family, HFHMC family, Mrs. Snyder, Gail Griffith, her mentor and the volunteers who helped to refurbish her home, she is stronger than she has ever been in her life and is finding balance daily.

She wonders how she can thank everyone for the many things they have done for her. She feels the voices of a million angels could not express her gratitude.

Sophie moved to Martin County from Thetford Mines, Quebec when she was 5 years old. Her mother was offered a job here so the family decided to move. She has lived in Martin County for 20 years and is a South Fork High School graduate.

Sophie has been a single parent since January 2013 and is raising her 2 children, Thierry Dimanche Jr., 6, and Melodie Dimanche, 2, by herself. Her parents live close by and are wonderful support for her.

For the last 2 years she has worked at the Dunbar Child Care Center in Hobe Sound. Although she enjoys her work she plans to attend college in the future. She hasn’t decided in what direction that might lead her. Right now she has just been focusing on getting into her Habitat Home.

She is a member of Saint Christopher’s Catholic Church in Hobe Sound.

She likes to spend her free time with her children going to the park, attending attractions for children and working arts and craft projects with them.

Sophie heard about Habitat for Humanity from the people she works with. It sounded interesting to her so she called Habitat to get more information. Since then she has been working to fulfill all the qualifications necessary to become a homeowner.

She feels so blessed because she always feared that she couldn’t find a suitable home for her children and herself, but Habitat has made it possible for them to live in a decent home. They are excited to have their own place. She feels that this is all so surreal and too good to be true. Sophie is truly thankful for this opportunity she has been given and it gives her hope for the future and the reassurance that with goals and hard work good things come.

Marvella Santoyo is a Martin County native. She graduated from South Fork High School, attended IRSC where she attained her Associates Degree and went on to FAU to get a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services. She presently volunteers for Castle, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent child abuse and neglect through education and awareness. Serving people in need is her focus.

Marcos Santoyo came to Martin County fourteen years ago from Colima, Mexico. He moved in with his brother and sister-in-law. His goal was to get a job and pay for the medicine his mother needed for her medical condition. He works as a painter for Blue Ocean Builders.

Marcos and Marvella met at her quinceañeras (15^th birthday celebration). Marcos was a chambelane (an escort) and it was love at first sight. Her parents were very strict so there was no dating. He could come by the house and they could sit on the porch. He never gave up and followed all her father’s courting rules and in 2005 they were married. They will celebrate their 10^th anniversary in November.

They have two children, Yosselin 8 and Marcos Jr. 4. As a family, they like to go to the movies, play soccer, fish, picnic and swim at the beach. They belong to Holy Cross Catholic Church.

Norma Garcia, a Carter Park Habitat home owner, told them about Habitat and suggested they try to get a home. They also learned about Habitat from flyers that were distributed.

Marvella and Marcos feel very blessed to have this opportunity and believe that without the Habitat program they probably would not have had the chance to become homeowners. They find it unbelievable that they will soon be walking through the doors to their new home.

Luis and Norma were born in the same little town and met when they were teenagers. They have been married for 20 years. They moved from Mexico to Seattle, Washington in August, 1994 and worked as laborers. In November 1995 they moved to Indiantown, FL to do the same type of work.

They have three children, Luis Fernando is 18 and he is taking classes at IRSC to become a Radiologist. Cristian is 14 and is in the 9^th grade at South Fork High School. He would like to become a detective when he grows up. Katia is 7, she is in the first grade, goes to Warfield Elementary School, would like to be either a teacher or a nurse.

Luis has two jobs. He has worked for Sunlight Saddle Club since 2009 as a Horse Groomer and also works at Treasure Coast Stables in the same position. Norma is taking English classes at the Adult Learning Center.

The Garcia family are members of Holy Cross Catholic Church. They like to spend time together going to the park for walks, out to eat and to the beach.  Luis Fernando and Christian love sports and like to play soccer and basketball. They also like to go fishing.

They learned about how to become a Habitat homeowner at a presentation at Head Start by the Habitat Family Services Director. They thought that the Habitat program could be for a great fit for them and applied.

Luis and Norma say that they are very happy that a program like Habitat exists to help moderate to low income families like them become homeowners. Without this program they could not afford to own a home. They value and appreciate all the hard work the volunteers did to help them build their home. It has really touched their hearts to see how the volunteers were not only willing to spend their time to help them but, also how much dedication and commitment they gave to their work. It did not matter how hard the work was or how much they sweat doing it, they still had smiles on their faces. This makes the Garcia’s feel grateful and special. They would like to thank the Habitat staff for all their guidance, help and dedication as well as to all the Habitat volunteers who one way or another helped them through the whole homeownership process. They believe that all the volunteers and staff have made a difference in their lives now and in the future.

Ponciano and Maria Del Carmen met in Mexico when they were kids. They became friends and when they were 18 and 21 years old they started to date. They have been married for 22 years and have three children:  Maria 17, Eduardo 14 and Fabiola 12. 

Twenty years ago Ponciano came to the USA by himself to work as a laborer. Since he moved to USA he would go back to Mexico to see his family at least twice a year. Ponciano moved to Martin County from California six years ago and has worked as a carpenter for Zachry Industrial for the past five years.

In 1999, he started the process with immigration to bring his family to the United States.   While the application was in process in immigration, Ponciano changed his address and forgot to inform immigration of his move.  The paper work was lost and he had to start all over again in 2008. Finally, in 2012, he received the approval from immigration and he was able to bring his family to the United States.

Maria, Eduardo and Fabiola started school on August 15, 2012.  Maria now is in the 10^th grade at South Fork High School, Eduardo is in 8^th grade at Indiantown Middle School, and Fabiola is in the 5^th grade at Warfield Elementary School. Ponciano and Ma Del Carmen are making sure their children have an education that will help them become successful in their life.

They have been members of Holy Cross Catholic Church since 2008. Maria is involved in the youth program at the church and they love to go to church together as a family.  In their free time they enjoy being together fishing and having picnics.

They heard about the Habitat for Humanity program from Tanya Molina, a Habitat for Humanity homeowner and strong advocate for Habitat. She was familiar with the small, two bedroom apartment they were renting. One day she knocked at the door and told them they needed to apply for a Habitat home that would be a better fit for their family. She explained to them how the program worked and provided them with the contact information to apply.

Now they are about to accomplish a goal they thought was out of their reach; becoming homeowners. They are very proud to have achieved this goal and are grateful that a program like Habitat exists.  They are thankful for all the guidance and help they received from of all the volunteers and Habitat staff, without their help they could never have become homeowners. They feel that becoming a homeowner gives them the peace of mind that they can now provide a safe and secure place for their family to call home. Their children are thrilled to finally have their own rooms and their privacy. They are all excited that their prayers of owning a place they can call home have been answered.

Florensia Torres was born in Dallas, Texas. Twenty five years ago her family moved to Martin County when she was 7 years old. Florensia went to Port Salerno Elementary School and Martin County High School.

Florensia is a VPK Teacher at Pebblestone Academy in Stuart. She has been with the school for eleven years. She is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Stuart.

She married and had three children; Mario 16, Becky 14 and Bella 6.  Unfortunately, her marriage did not last and six years ago she became a single mother raising her children. The divorce affected her personal finances and shattered her credit, leaving her with large debts to pay on her own.  

In 2008, a friend of her mother’s recommended that she go to Habitat for Humanity to see if she could qualify for a home. She applied but due to her financial issues she could not qualify and was advised by Habitat to re-apply once she cleared up all her credit issues.

 Since 2008, Florensia has been working to pay off her debt so she could give her children a better future. She thought that as a single parent she would never get her debt paid off, but she persevered for her children’s sake,  and little by little,  paid off every penny and solved or her credit issues. She reapplied for a Habitat home in 2012 and was pre-approved. In May, 2013 she received the news she had been waiting and working for the last six years to hear; Habitat had an available property to build her home and gave her a final approval.

 In Florensia’s words, “I have come a long way as a single parent trying to form a better life for my children. I have learned much over these years as I persevered and that is to never think negatively. Remain positive and keep your eyes on your goal and you will achieve it.”

Florensia would like to thank the Habitat for Humanity staff, all the volunteers, her mentor and all those who have made this dream come true for her and her family. Without the Habitat for Humanity program she would never have been able to have a home for her family.

Socorro López Gaspar and Julia Bartolome Domingo were born in Guatemala, Central America. Socorro has been in the USA since 1983 and Julia since 1995. Socorro and Julia met in Guatemala. They moved from Arizona to Florida to work as laborers in Indiantown in 1996. Their son, Adolfo Gaspar, 10, was born in Martin County.

Julia is the first one in her family to become a homeowner and Socorro is going to be the second of four siblings to own his own home.

Socorro has worked as a driver for Lopez Lawn Maintenance since 2007, a business owned by his brother. Julia sews boat seats for RDC Manufacturing since 2004.

The family is a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church. They are very involved in their church and help with activities and events. The family likes to go to the movies, the library and love to go fishing. Adolfo loves to read and spend time with his parents. He is in the 4^th grade at Port Salerno Elementary school and dreams of becoming a policeman when he grows up. 

Socorro and Julia say, “We are ecstatic that finally we are going to live as a family by ourselves. We will no longer be sharing a home and space with other people. We are going to have a new home of our own and we will be able, little by little, to decorate it in our own style and make our own family memories. Adolfo is very happy that he is going to have a home where he can bring his friends and have a room for himself where he can play and have a quiet space to do his homework. We would like to thank Habitat for Humanity and their staff for giving us the opportunity to become Habitat Homeowners. We thank God for bringing us the Habitat volunteers that took the time to help us and the donors that contributed the funds necessary to build our home. Habitat, its staff and volunteers, are now part of our family and our hearts. We will forever be grateful for what they have done for us”.

Josefina Flores has lived in Martin County for 24 years, coming to the United States when she was just 3 years old.  She attended South Fork High School and has been a Health Assistant for the past 4 years at Warfield Elementary School, where her 5 year old daughter, Jolianna Flores, will be attending Kindergarten. 

Collecting butterflies is Josefina’s hobby. She started collecting when she was 17 and now has quite a large assortment. She also enjoys fishing with her daughter and her brothers.

Josefina attends Indian River State College where she is pursuing an associate’s degree nursing and hopes to complete her degree by next year.

Josefina’s mother owns her own home, but Josefina is the first of her siblings to have a home of their own. Her mother and a family friend told her about Habitat for Humanity. The first time she inquired about getting a Habitat home she did not meet the necessary criteria to qualify and was advised of what she needed to do to qualify.  She really wanted a home so she began working to meet the qualifications to become a Habitat homeowner.

In Josefina’s words, “Becoming a Habitat homeowner is granting my maximum wish”. It means everything to me and my family. If only my father could see now what he has motivated me to do for myself and my family.  My mother has been very supportive in the efforts I have made to get my own home and I really feel that my parents deserve the credit for this because they raised me to be a responsible person. I cannot thank Habitat for Humanity, the staff and all the volunteers enough for giving me this grand opportunity of homeownership.”

 She graduated from South Fork High School and has been pursuing advanced education ever since. She obtained an Associate’s Degree from IRSC in Early Childhood Education in 2011.

 That same year she continued her education by attending Florida Gulf Coast University in St. Petersburg Department of Social Work and graduated with her Family Development Credential. But she didn’t stop there; she is now enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree program at IRSC in Human Services.

Regina has three sons, Antonio 16, Anquone 8 and Anqualin 4. Her free time is spent helping with homework and attending various sporting practices and events with her boys. She loves taking the boys to the movies and spending quality time together; making memories with her sons is what is most important to her. She and her boys are very proud to be active members of Mount Zion Missionary Institutional Baptist Church.

Regina works at the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project as the Family Service Coordinator.  She also speaks some Spanish, which helps her communicate with the families. Regina enjoys working with the families helping them to become advocates for themselves and their children.

Regina found out about Habitat through two of our homeowners Kimika Jackson and Janet Rosado years ago. Janet encouraged her to complete the application process.

She is excited about becoming a Habitat partner family and becoming a homeowner. She is ecstatic to be taking part in helping to build her home and the home of others as well as becoming a lifetime partner with all the volunteers and staff of Habitat.

Becoming a homeowner is absolutely a dream come true. It means everything to her and her three boys to have a place called HOME.  It means stability, a safe space and new beginnings for her family.  It will be their safe haven and a place to enjoy each other and build lifetime memories together.

Regina believes the love a mother has for her sons is unconditional. She would like to give special thanks to Sonia Snyder for her constant motivation and encouragement on times when she felt a little overwhelmed and wanted just to give up due to her busy schedule at home, school and work.

Beauford Williams spent his boyhood in Ocala, FL. In 1995 he came to Stuart for a visit and while he was here he found employment and decided to stay.  Teresa Williams grew up in Fort Pierce and in 1998 she also came to Stuart to visit friends and decided to stay.

Teresa and Beauford met, fell in love and married in 2004. Between them they have six grown children, 5 boys and 1 girl.

Beauford worked for Cassidy Ice for 15 years until he injured his back while on the job. The injury required surgery, but after the operation he was unable to return to work. Teresa has worked as a sorter/bagger for Stuart Hometown Cleaners since 2012.

They are members of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Fort Pierce where Teresa has been a member for 50 years.

Beauford and Teresa had a common goal. They wanted a home of their own and they have worked towards this for ten years. Their friend Sherry Puertas and Teresa’s brother, Terrance Hayward, Habitat homeowners, referred them to Habitat.   They were able to go through the application process and be approved for a home. They are overwhelmed with the idea that they finally made it and will be Habitat homeowners.

Beauford and his boys helped to build the homes of two Habitat families to gather the required 300 hours of sweat equity. Despite his back injury, Beauford found things he could do at the construction site. He wants to thank all the people who made them feel welcome. That meant a lot to him. He found working on the job site a wonderful experience.

They feel that Habitat has done more than build their home. They have learned so much from the volunteers who worked at the construction site with them, the Habitat homeowner education classes and their mentor Gary Godin. Now they have a good understanding of how to budget their money, maintain good credit, take care of their home and be savvy shoppers. All this new knowledge makes them feel confident that they will become successful homeowners and that they are on their way to a better life. 

Nancy Cleare is coming home! She grew up in East Stuart on Bahama Street and now she is moving into a Habitat for Humanity home located there. She is excited to be moving back to the old neighborhood where she grew up.

Nancy comes from a large family of seven boys and six girls. She is the 9^th child. At age 15 she left home to live on her own, renting a one room apartment where she cooked her food on a hot plate. She had a job working at a flower nursery, but circumstances forced her to move back home and live with her mother.

Several years later she moved to an apartment in the housing authority. She married and had four daughters.  They are all grown now and living on their own.

Although she moved numerous times through the years, she always remained in the East Stuart neighborhood. She is a lifelong member of Saint Paul AME where she sings in the choir. In 2002 Nancy’s husband passed away.

Nancy has been employed in nutrition services for 14 years. Her first position in 1990 was as a baker for the Martin County School System. She left there and took a position with Martin Memorial Hospital Nutrition Services Department where she still remains. She loves to work and she wants to keep going for as long as she can.

Janice Delancy Mack, a Habitat for Humanity homeowner, told her about Habitat and recommended that she try to qualify for a home of her own. She took Janice’s advice and was approved for a home.

Nancy says, “Lord Jesus this is the best thing in my life and I never figured it would be for me. I would like to express my sincere thanks and deepest appreciation to all the volunteers who one way or another helped me to become a homeowner.  Thank you for all your hard work and caring. Words cannot express how grateful I am for you sacrifice. I am overjoyed at the lengths volunteers went to help me without expecting anything in return. Becoming a homeowner is giving me a sense of accomplishment. I will forever be grateful and indebted to you all. May God bless you for your generous acts of kindness.”

Nicolas and Juana Felipe were both born in Guatemala.  Nicolas was living and working in Okeechobee prior to moving to Indiantown in 1993. In 1985 Juana came from Guatemala and settled in Indiantown. They didn’t meet until they worked together in Indiantown.

They have four children. Their oldest, Irma, 21 years old and has a new baby girl. She works as a housekeeper in Admirals Cove.  Rogelio is 18 years old and will start school at IRSC this year to become a pharmacist. Natalia is 7 years old and is in the first grade at Warfield Elementary School and Maria, the baby, is 2 years old.

Nicolas has worked in the maintenance department at Admiral’s Cove Golf Club since 2006. Juana has worked as an Ironer at United Linen Services since 2009.

They learned about Habitat many years ago but never thought they could qualify for a home. A friend of Juana’s gave her Habitat for Humanity of Martin County’s contact information so they could apply. Nicolas will be the first of 10 siblings and Juana will be the first of 6 siblings to own their own home.

“We are very happy Habitat for Humanity gave us the opportunity to become homeowners. One of our most important goals is to make sure our children have an opportunity to go to school and to have a better future. Owning a home will help us achieve these goals because we can give our children a place of their own and they now can see that all our hard work has been rewarded. Finally we are becoming homeowners!

Our children are very happy to have their own rooms. They will finally have a quiet place to do their homework and are thrilled they will be able to paint and decorate their rooms the way they like.

We would like to thank all the volunteers for helping us build our home and we are thankful that God put them in our lives. We will never be able to repay them for all they have done, but we will always be thankful for the help they have given us.”

Samika Jackson has lived all of her life in Indiantown surrounded by many family members. She has four sisters and one brother. She is very close to her aunts and grandparents.  She has three daughters Bernisha 18, Burnat 17 and Ja’Nae 5. The two older girls attend South Fork High School and Ja’Nae attends Warfield Elementary.

Samika has been a Service Representative for Sunoco for six years.  When she is not working her family is her priority. They like spending time together going to the movies or out to eat.

A friend working for Louis Dreyfus Citrus picked up a flyer advertising “How to Become a Habitat Homeowner” and suggested that she might try to qualify for a home. It has taken her two years to complete the process and be approved for a home. She has been chosen to receive the 2013 Women Build Home and her home will be the third built in Indiantown’s Carter Park. 

Samika will be the first in her family to own a home of her own.  “A home brings a family stability and helps build a stable foundation. An opportunity to become a homeowner is a blessing for a single mom like me, who could never afford to buy a house without the Habitat home ownership program.” Samika says.

Samika looks forward to meeting the volunteers who will help build her house. She finds it remarkable that women that have never met her are willing to give freely of their time and labor to help her and her family and she is very appreciative.

Jose and Rosaura Mondragon were both born in Michoacán, Mexico.  They moved to Indiantown, 20 years ago. Jose has worked for the Loxahatchee Club as an Equipment Operator since 1994 and Rosaura is a homemaker. They have three children, Eric, 19 and Diana, 18, both attend South Fork High School and Gemma, 13, is in 7^th grade at Indiantown Middle School.

Rosaura first learned about Habitat though a Latin show called “Christina.” When she told her husband he did not believe that by doing 300 hours of sweat equity families could become homeowners.  Then one of the Partner Families Eddie Cabrera, told them he was having a home built and gave them the contact information. .

They are very happy to become Habitat homeowners; all their hard work has paid off. They loved the enthusiasm of the volunteers who helped them build their home.  They would like to thank them all for volunteering their time to help people in need achieve their dream of having a home of their own. Volunteers do this from their heart and God say helping others is very important.

Rosaura is the first one in her family to become a homeowner. They attend the Santa Cruz Catholic Church in Indiantown.

Home ownership is a dream come true and knowing their children are going to feel safer and have their own space makes them feel grateful to Habitat for Humanity and everyone who helped them in many different ways.

Juan Francisco Sanchez Jr. was born in Piedra Negras, Mexico, but has lived in the United States for 26 years. Breanda was born and raised in Clewiston, Florida and live there for 24 years until she moved to Martin County.

In 2002 Juan and Brenda decided to move to Indiantown to make a change in their lives and to be near Brenda’s relatives. Juan worked in constructions as a heavy equipment operator for several years and now works as a truck driver. Brenda stays at home to care for their five children. Neveah age 11, Aracely age 10, Juan III age 9, Jerius age 6, and Jasiah age 4. The school age children attend Warfield Elementary School in Indiantown and the youngest child stays at home with their mother.

Janet Rosado, a Habitat homeowner, recommended that the Sanchez family apply for a Habitat home of their own. They are the first members of their families to become homeowners. As a child Juan moved often and never got the feeling of really belonging to a community he could call home. He is very thankful for the opportunity and stability the Carter Park development will provide for his family.

The Sanchezes are very close family and they enjoy spending quality time together. They like bicycle riding, playing with their pets, going to the beach, family dinners, using the trampling, picnics and grilling out with family and friends. Most important to this closely family is showing love and support for one another. They say the children are happy with anything that is done for them.

They are very thankful to all who have joined in to make their dream of building their new home come true and they would like to give a special thanks to Sonia Snyder for never giving up or doubting their dream of owning a home would become reality.

Judy Hernandez was born in Stuart, Florida and has lived here her entire life. She attended Martin County High School and graduated in 2006.

After graduation she attended IRSC for Cosmetology and has worked at the Hair Cuttery in the Treasure Coast Mall since completing her education. She is very interested in criminal law and continues her education at IRSC.

Justina, Judy’s daughter, is in second grade. She loves art and music and is very anxious to have a place of her own. She looks forward to peace and quiet because where she lives now it is sometimes very noisy. She is happy that she and her mother will have their own home.  Judy is very happy that she can do this for her daughter because she feels that apartment living is not sufficient for a child.

Judy and Justina are members of St. Joseph Church. Justina likes to attend religious classes on Saturday and is happiest when her mother is involved in the class with her.

Judy is motivated, goal-oriented and focused on achieving success.  She needs to be in order to keep up with her busy schedule balancing a job, raising a daughter and continuing her education.

 In Judy’s words, “Becoming a Habitat homeowner makes me feel very grateful and appreciative. From the bottom of my heart I want to give a special thanks to all the dedicated and caring people who work and volunteer for Habitat.  I am amazed that there are so many people who are willing to help others and want to make a difference. Without your help I would not be where I am today. I also speak on behalf of my daughter who loved to drive by the house every day while it was under construction so she could see the progress. We are glad that you decided to take time out of your life to help us become homeowners because without your help we would never have done it on our own.  Even though becoming a homeowner is a great responsibility, it is also a privilege that should not be taken for granted. Your actions and generosity will never be forgotten. Thank you!”

Shameeka Dixon is the recipient of the 2011 Women Build home in Hobe Sound.

Shameeka is a hardworking mother of two twin boys, Jermari and Jerbari. She has worked as a clerk at the Martin County Tax Collector’s office since July 2007 and works part time at Publix. She is also pursuing a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. Although she has a busy schedule, Shameeka worked diligently to complete her 300 hours of sweat equity.

Shameeka has lived in Hobe Sound for more than 22 years. Her mother owns a home in Hobe Sound and she will be the first of her siblings to own a home. Shameeka heard about Habitat for Humanity through another Habitat homeowner. "Owning a home means everything to me. I’ll be setting up a great foundation for my children and they’ll have a place to call home,” says Shameeka. "It’s also a great achievement for me to reach one of my life-long goals."