They say home is where the heart is, but for Mariela, home is more than just her heart – it’s filled with the blood, sweat and tears she’s put into it.
“I put 200 hours of sweat into it,” she said. “From the foundation to the roof.”
After her mortgage applications were previously rejected, Mariela’s daughter Daijah learned about Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County during a high school class.
“I thought, ‘Oh my god, you need to apply for this,’ and she did,” Daijah said.
This non-profit organization helps families overcome financial obstacles to purchase a home.
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Participants attend workshops that help them qualify for affordable mortgages based on their income and put their carpentry skills to the test.
“They learn all about the responsibilities that come with homeownership,” said Florence Kawoczka, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Bucks County.
“That’s really important, that if we prepare them well and they can pay their mortgage and their bills, they’ll be successful,” Kawoczka said. “We don’t want to set any family up for failure.”
The family of four lived in a cramped apartment.
Now they are moving into their brand new three-bedroom home in Croydon, worth around $375,000.
“What a blessing that they all have their own rooms,” Mariela said.
The house offers the comfort they have always dreamed of. And the family will feel right at home when they move to a street where they already know their neighbors, since the houses on both sides were also built by Habitat for Humanity.
“I’m very proud, she’s done a lot for us,” Daijah said. “I love my mom.”
Aziza Shuler
