Reyna & Luis are a young couple with two girls (6 & 13) and a baby on the way. Until recently, they lived in a makeshift shelter made with sheet metal and salvaged pieces of wood. Without a concrete floor, their one-room shelter became muddy when it rained. Their wood-burning stove was in the same room as the family bed, creating a constant fog of smoke to live with.
With heavy rains inundating the family’s makeshift zinc shelter, their 5-year-old girl was hospitalized with asthma and a heart murmur. During this difficult time, Luis would cycle from Los Robles to the hospital (Over 2-hour bike ride) every day to bring his daughter and Renya food and clothing.
Director of Community Development, Yarisleidy Cortez, welcomes us to the worksite.
A few Brigadistas advocated on behalf of Reyna, Luis and their family to Comunidad Connect program director Yarisleidy Cortez. After vetting the situation, we reached out to our community of support and raised $2,500 to build Reyna and Luis a new home. Once the funds were in place, a team of local volunteers and paid labor came together to build a home for Reyna, Luis and their family just in time for the historic hurricane season of 2020.
Fortunately, their daughter has recovered and continues to improve under healthier conditions in the new home.
Emotional moment during the home dedication
Home dedication ceremony