Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Arrona's Express Their Thanks

The Arrona family wrote their own biography and their feelings on partnering with Habitat. Read their story below:
 
The Arrona Family is made up of Salvadro, Deborah and Aria. Salvadro is a Skilled Plumber Apprentice in the Maintenance Department of Pasadena Independent School District. Deborah is a wrok-from-home mom, who works as an Avon Independent Sales Representative. They have a seven year-old daughter, Aria.
 
The Arrona's heard about Habitat for Humanity in general, but they did not know, or understand the scope of the homeownership program. In January 2011, Salvador's cousin-in-law, Desire'e Jenkins, e-mailed Deborah information about a Homeownership Information Meeting Bay Area Habitat for Humanity was having at the La Porte Neighborhood Center. Salvador, Deborah, and Aria went to this meeting and received a full application after a short interview at the conclusion of the meeting. This full application was completed and submitted to Bay Area Habitat for Humanity in February.
 
In March, Bay Area Habitat for Humanity called Salvador to let him know that the Arrona family had been approved for a wheelchair accessible home to be built in La Porte, Texas. Deborah and Aria happened to be in the room when this phone call (that they had all been waiting for) was received. They could tell by the look on Salvador's face that it was good news. Once Salvador confirmed what Deborah was thinking, everyone screamed with greaty joy! Salvador danced with Aria in her wheelchair, and Deborah started calling, texting and emailing everyone she could think of to share the good news. After the sigh of relief, as their lifelong dream, since they've been married, was finally becoming a reality.
 
The Arrona family currently lives in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in Pasadena, Texas. The conditions are not dire, but considering the multiple special need that their daughter, Aria, lives with on a daily basis, their apartment is not sufficient. Aria, as a result of a micro-preemie birth, lives with spastic cerebral palsy, cortical visual impairment, epilepsy, and is fed through a feeding tube - just to name a few. Her multiple special needs require the use of durable medical equipment (such as a wheelchair, stander, and suction machine) and supplies (such as syringes, formula, and diapers) for her care. All of these items take up a lot of space in the family apartment, leaving little room for Aria to get around in her wheelchair. For access to the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen, Aria must be carried because her wheelchair will not fit through the small hallways and door openings. This will become more difficult as Aria becomes older and larger. The sidewalks at the family's apartment complex are not wheelchair friendly, and Aria's wheelchair can barely fit through the entry way. Other issues their apartment has are persistent plumbing problems, drafts from the bedroom windows, and water damage caused by Hurrican Ike that has yet to be corrected. Having a brand new, wheelchair accessible home will eliminate and improve all of these issues.
 
Salvador and Deborah honestly believe that only good and positive changes can come from moving into their new Habitat home. Their new home will provide more space, security, stability and independence for Aria and the multiple special needs she lives with daily.
 
If the Arrona family could say one thing to the donors and volunteers working on their home, it would be, "Thank You!" Thank you for helping them realize their dream of homeownership. Thank you for giving them an opportunity to become part of a great community they have always desired. Thank you, above all else, for helping them make a home that will honestly be Aria's best chance to freely grow and flourish in a way she has not been able to before. Thank you for all you have done and do for families like them.
 
Thank you

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Welcome Our Newest Families!

This past month, three new partner families were selected to join the BAHFH family. Letha Frederick, Betty Hall, and Salvador and Deborah Arrona are excited for the opportunity to work on their sweat equity, build their new homes, and create more stability and a better future for their families. They all have already begun puting hours into building homes for other families in the program.

Letha is a single mother of one teenage son. She struggled this winter living in a trailer with inadequate heating. She is excited to have a home she's helped build and watched being built, offering her a sense of security in the quality of her home. It will be wonderful to have a place where her son and extended family can feel comfortable staying with her and visiting.

Betty, also a single mother, is working hard to move her two teenage sons and stepfather out of an unsafe neighborhood and a crowded, two-bedroom, mold infested apartment. The boys are happy to be getting their own rooms, and Betty is happy to provide them with a safe living environment.

Salvador and Deborah Arrona are a happily married couple with a special needs daughter. Little Aria is a wonderful girl, who needs extra special care and attention. Her wheelcahir does not make it past the front door of their apartment, and her bedroom is overcrowded, as it doubles as a storage area for her medical supplies. The Arrona's love their daughter and want very much to finally have a home where she can move around freely and gain as much independence as she possibly can.

If you would like to meet any of these amazing families and learn more about their stories, come volunteer with us at the worksite! We build in Dickinson on Thursdays and Saturdays, and in La Porte every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

For more information, visit our website www.bahfh.org, or call the office at 281-337-3590.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Meet the New BAHFH Mascot!!

SAM


Meet the newest member of the BAHFH team: SAM
He's a Beta Fish, and he is happy to be the new Bay Area-Houston
Habtiat for Humanity Mascot!
 
Donning the Habitat colors, blue and green, we knew Sam would be a perfect fit from the start.
 
He enjoys spending time in his "habitat", swimming, eating,
and making "fish faces".
 
Since Sam has been in the office, we have seen employee work production increase by 110%.
 

"He is such a joy to have around. Everyone smiles a little more, works a little harder. Just fantastic. What a fish!" Tom Gongora, our Construction Manager, commented on Sam's arrival.

 
If you would like to meet Sam and welcome him to the area, feel free to stop by the office anytime between 8:30 am and 5 pm, Monday thru Friday.



Monday, March 14, 2011

First Habitat Homeowner Pays off Mortgage!!

Maria Bedolla and her family partnered with Bay Area-Houston Habitat for Humanity (BAHFH) in June of 1991. Previously, she, her husband and two young daughters had been renting a small, 2-bedroom house with a leaky roof, a sunken porch and inadequate utilities. Unable to apply for a traditional home loan, Maria felt she had no other options than to continue living in this way. That was until she discovered the mission of Habitat; a program designed to help people like Maria who are hard-working, dependable and determined to create a better future for themselves and their family.

After investing hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” into building their home, Maria and her family moved in on December 15, 1991. For the next 20 years, Maria made every mortgage payment on time. February 28, 2011 marked a memorable day in BAHFH history: Mrs. Bedolla made her final payment!



We are so proud of Maria and cannot be more thankful to her for setting such an amazing example for future homeowners.



Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Does Anybody Hear Me??

Hey out there!

Is anyone following us???

If you are, leave your comments below! Let us know how you've been affected by Habitat.

Likes, dislikes, joys, challenges, favorite moments...it's all valid and worth being heard. Habitat is more than just building homes. It's building relationships, creating experiences, and sharing in the awesomness of helping others.


Speak now, and please don't hold your peace!