The Cortes family was forced to make the choice between squeezing their family of seven in an overcrowded apartment or living in a substandard mobile home, where they paid $200 in lot rent each month as well as $300 for heating and cooling, largely lost through windows which were held together with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Their fifteen-year old son slept underneath a leaking ceiling, and every time it rained, they lost power. The couple struggled to repair the floors and cover exposed wiring to safeguard their youngest daughter from electric shock. For the Cortes’, it seemed impossible to get ahead.
Thanks to the support of donors like you, the Cortes family now owns a bright, modest, four-bedroom home in a quiet neighborhood, built to high-efficiency Energy Star standards. Their power bills are affordable and no one in their family tonight is sleeping under a leaking roof. Says Mr. Cortes, “The situation where we lived was bad . . . and I think that the lives of our children have improved greatly. We now live in a very peaceful neighborhood and they have nice friends and a yard to play in.” He has a special message to the financial supporters who make Habitat for Humanity possible: “Thank you for all the help you gave us and all your generosity. Thank you for the opportunity you have given us.”
Make this opportunity available to another family today. Make a contribution to Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.
