Habitat For Humanity Builds Roxbury Home For 2 Families
BOSTON (CBS) -- As a little boy gobbled down some celebration cake on the kitchen floor of his new house Saturday morning, his mother rejoiced.
"It's a day of victory," says Niulka Martinez, "And we're very thankful for the community, the donors, for the volunteers...we're very excited."
Niulka Martinez and her family will share a Roxbury duplex with the Marleny De Los Santos and her family.
"This means a lot for me," Marleny De Los Santos told WBZ-TV. "This is the world for me."
Both moms work, but they have struggled unsuccessfully in recent years to secure a decent home with an affordable mortgage.
Enter Habitat for Humanity in the role of developer and lender, offering a volunteer army to help build such a place alongside the eventual owners, who must invest 300 hours of sweat equity themselves to make it happen.
"It's amazing," says Lark Palmero of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston. "It's this model of partnership, which makes everybody feel invested: the families, the volunteers, all of us."
But the partnership on this project was even more unique because it was partially funded by an anonymous donor, who gave a bunch of money in the name of Pope Francis as part of an effort to engage Catholics in the habitat mission.
"This shows what can happen when the community comes together, works together and has an ideal," says Cardinal Sean O'Malley.
In a few weeks, one family will say goodbye to a grandparent's basement, while the other to a rent-subsidized apartment with the hope that this highly-energy efficient home will finally break the cycle of poverty.
De Los Santos said she was grateful for everything Habitat for Humanity and others have done for them.
The home will be ready in about three weeks, and the families mortgages are interest-free.
Habitat for Humanity builds about 10 homes per year.