Meet Some of Our Partner Families!

Meet the Leon Aguilar Family: Mirna, Alonzo, Eduardo, & Aryana

Brief Background
Mirna Aguilar is a single mother to three children: Alonzo (12), Eduardo (5), and Aryana (3). Seven years ago, Mirna moved to Washington for better jobs and schools. She has a good support system in the area, including her mother, two sisters, and a brother. Her mother, Josefina, watches the children while Mirna works full-time.

Employment Information
For the past year, Mirna has worked as a dietary aide at a retirement center. Though she has only been there for a short time, her diligence and skills have earned the trust of her supervisors. This trust is exemplified by her duties as trainer to new employees. Of her professionalism, her boss states, “Her work ethics and friendly manners are her strengths.”

Housing Need
The Aguilar family has lived in their current residence for four years. Aside from inadequate insulation that is unhealthy for an asthmatic son as well as inoperable doors and windows, the greatest problem they deal with daily is a fear for their safety. The family is constantly reminded of the dangers of living in their neighborhood with car thefts, drug dealers, and strangers constantly at their door. They also live in a flood zone and in four years, their apartment has been flooded three times causing adverse psychological effects to the children: they are afraid when it rains.

Other Information
As the sole wage earner in the family, Mirna works hard but “she always tries to balance work with her family’s quality time.” The family likes to go to the park and the lake and have barbeques. For herself, Mirna’s immediate goal is to take more English classes but her ultimate dream is to have all of her kids attend college. So far, her oldest son is showing promise with multiple academic and citizenship awards at school. Owning a Habitat home for the Aguilar family is an important step in achieving the stability and peace of mind they need as they collectively work to fulfill Mirna’s dream.

Meet the Aguirre Family: Olivia & Cyndi

Brief Background
Olivia Aguirre is a single mom to daughter Cyndi, who is currently a senior at Issaquah High School. Olivia emigrated from Mexico to create a more stable life for herself and her future family. She settled in the Northwest, making the Eastside her home for the last 20 years.

Employment Information
For four years, Olivia has had a stable job, working in her company as a bookkeeper clerk. Her hard work paid off and this year, she was promoted in her current position as a tax analyst. Still, she dreams of going back to school one day to study psychology. Cyndi has inherited her mother’s work ethic and has been working as a barista at a local coffee shop while going to school full time. She hopes to go to college next year.

Housing Need
Olivia and Cyndi have lived in Redmond for the last seven months. The family’s rent constitutes over 40% of Olivia’s monthly income.

Other Information
A former landlord/neighbor has said of Olivia, “You could not ask for a better candidate for the Habitat program. [She] is a hard worker and is kind of heart.” Such praise is corroborated by her continual involvement in community service through her church and the generous use of her bilingual skills (in Spanish and English) to help enhance communication between her English-speaking landlord and new applicants for residency who spoke limited English. Olivia and her daughter would be ideal additions to the Habitat family, in line with her former landlord’s comment, “You will likely find her personal outlook and the mission of Habitat for Humanity will be closely aligned.”

Meet the Cornejo Family: Alvaro, Venus, Alvaro Jr., Amanda, & Maria Teresa

Brief Background
Alvaro and Venus live with their two children, Alvaro Jr. (6) and Amanda (2), and Venus’ mother, Maria Teresa. Alvaro and Venus immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 and have made East King County their home ever since. Alvaro is the younger brother of Erly Cornejo, a fellow Habitat homebuyer.

Employment Information
Alvaro has worked at a BMW dealership as a detailing and carwash supervisor for the past two years. He is currently looking for a position that brings more income to the household. Venus had a background in education in Nicaragua so it’s not surprising that she began work at Bellevue School District as a bilingual Head Start teacher assistant once her son started school three years ago. She plans to take courses to earn a preschool teacher certification.

Housing Need
For the past six years, the Cornejo family has lived in a small home that is so old it needs constant repair. Rental management is unresponsive to their needs so the family of five lives with broken doors, inoperable appliances, and water leaks. There are also several rooms with mold and insect infestation.

Other Information
Asked why they needed a Habitat home, Venus and Alvaro explained, “One of the biggest reason[s] would be to save money for college funds for the kids and the chance to own our first home.” Though they manage to pay all of their bills on time, this couple finds it difficult to save enough money each month to put into the accounts they have set up for their children, especially with their rent and other expenses constantly rising. As part of the Habitat family, Venus and Alvaro look toward the future with joy and optimism.

Meet the Cornejo Family: Erly, Veronica, Ashley, & Moises

Brief Background
Erly and Veronica were married in the early 1990s and welcomed their daughter, Ashley (13), and son, Moises (9) soon thereafter. The couple emigrated from Nicaragua and has made East King County their home. They both have close ties with extended family in the area and count on them for support, including helping to build their Habitat home.

Employment Information
For the past two years, Veronica has worked in retail, recently gaining more hours. Erly is an auto-mechanic and works part-time helping friends and family with their car problems. He is currently looking for a full-time job in and out of his field.

Housing Need
Since 2007, the family has lived in a well-kept but very small apartment. Ashley and Moises, almost teenagers, share a bedroom. The monthly rent for the inadequate space is very expensive and leaves little money left for other living expenses.

Other Information
The Cornejo family loves to go camping, play softball, and watch Moises’ baseball games. Others characterize the family as “cohesive” with “strong family values on respect, caring, and character.” Like many parents in their situation, Erly and Veronica list providing a good home for their family as one of their future goals. By applying to Habitat for Humanity, these parents have taken the first active steps towards fulfilling this goal.

Meet the Kesselring Family: Penelope & Luis

Brief Background
Penelope, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, has lived in East King County with her son, Luis Gerardo (13) for five years. This small family doesn’t have relatives in the area (all live out of the country) but do have a large support system through friends at church.

Employment Information
Penelope, a former travel agent, has worked as a group travel coordinator for AAA for four years. She has impressed her co-workers with her professionalism and perseverance. Luis attends middle school and has been described as a boy with excellent manners, “a pleasure to be around”, and someone who has a lot of potential.

Housing Need
The Kesselring family has lived in their current rental for four years. Their housing need stems from the expense of their home; rent alone eats up 50% of Penelope’s income. Though the family lives within a budget, a potential raise in rent would create more financial hardship for this hardworking and deserving family.

Other Information
Penelope and Luis enjoy attending festivals and exploring new towns. Penelope’s main goal, and one that she has stated repeatedly, is to see her son graduate from college. To this end, she has saved a little money for his college education. Penelope has stated that finances have always been an obstacle to owning her own home. With Habitat’s help, Penelope is well on her way to becoming a first-time homeowner!

Meet the Mateas Family: Dorin, Lidia, Emanuela, Ruben, Simona, & Cristiana

Brief Background
Dorin and Lidia are the parents of four children: Emanuela (12), Ruben (10), Simona (7), and Cristiana (5). The family, originally from Romania and Moldova, moved to East King County in 2005. Lidia has a brother and sister residing in the area.

Employment Information
Dorin supports his family with his job as a courier, part-time contractor, and handyman. Both Dorin and Lidia strive to better the lives of their family through continued education. Dorin is a part time student, studying to be in an accountant. Lidia attends school as well – she is studying to be a nurse.

Housing Need
The six-member Mateas family live in a cramped 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment. In order to have some independent space, one of the girls sleeps in a curtained-off section of the living room while the youngest sleeps in a toddler bed in her parent’s bedroom. Black mold is evident in several surfaces throughout the home including the ceilings and bedrooms. This health hazard has already adversely affected Dorin, who has been suffering an illness caused by inhaling the mold in their home. Health and space issues aside, there is also a safety issue with their current housing.

Other Information
By all accounts, the Mateas family is very outgoing, sincere, and loving. Friends of the family have told of Dorin and Lidia’s selfless involvement with “Mission without Borders International” in their home country and their continued helpfulness with friends here in East King County. Dorin and Lidia are responsible and forward-thinking parents, saving money for emergencies and their children’s college education. The characteristics of this family make them wonderful additions to the Habitat community.

Meet the Reyes Family! Lola, Patrick, & Kyree

Brief Background
Dolores “Lola” Reyes is a single mom to sons Patrick (19) and Kyree (9).
The family has lived on the Eastside for decades and has extended family nearby.

Employment
For the past five years, Lola has supported her family as a social service provider. While she enjoys the work, she has other career goals. Lola is working toward her master’s degree in adult education, which she hopes to parlay into an instructor position at a local college. She would also like to write and publish while working in the non-profit and social justice sectors. Lola’s eldest son, Patrick, takes classes at Bellevue College and recently published his first book of poetry.

Housing Need
Lola and her two sons have lived in the same apartment complex for four years. In the summer, there are pests such as ants and earwigs to contend with. But it is worse in the winter because the only working heater is in Lola’s room and mother must share this room with her youngest son, Kyree, who suffers from asthma. Additionally, the apartment has mold in several areas and major problems with the old plumbing system.

Other Information
The qualities that make Lola’s family an ideal candidate for Habitat goes beyond their need for a home. Lola has been described as someone who “places a strong emphasis on interacting positively with others” even “when she is under a great deal of stress”. She is very involved in her community, reaching out to neighbors and volunteering at her sons’ schools and elsewhere. Lola is teaching her sons both her positive outlook on life and the necessity to applying that perspective in “building a more just society”.

Meet the Riziki Family: Domitilla, Axel, Jesus, Clelia, & John

Brief Background
The Riziki family consists of single mom Domitilla and her four children: Axel (20), Jesus (18), Clelia (15), and John (11). The family escaped to Ghana when a civil war erupted in their home country of Burundi. They lived and survived in a refugee camp for six years before relocating to the Seattle area. For the past four years, Domitilla and her children have cultivated a community in East King County, a community that consists of friends from Africa, church members, and grandparents.

Employment Information
Domitilla has supported her family with a stable job as a daycare provider for 3½ years. Axel is attending Bellevue Community College and studying international business. He, along with his brother Jesus, pledged to help their family achieve the American dream of homeownership.

Housing Need
The family’s living space is overcrowded and substandard. The roof has a leak and the insulation is inadequate to provide enough warmth, especially in the winter. In addition, there is no hot water available in one of two bathrooms.

Other Information
Members of the Riziki’s church “family” have described Domitilla and her children in glowing terms. They believe that the Riziki family members are contributing members to their community and the country at large. An example of this is Domitilla’s great interest in the process of the last presidential election. With her recent U.S. naturalization for citizenship, she is proud to make her opinions count with her vote. Their Habitat neighbors can also look forward to having a great addition to their community.

Meet the Talton Family: Mikel, Alissa, Mikayla, Hayleigh, & Isaiah

Background Information
Mikel and Alissa Talton recently moved from Virginia to East King County, although they are not new to Washington, having been born in Bellevue and Tacoma, respectively. The Talton family includes three children: Mikayla (14), Hayleigh (5), and Isaiah (2). Extended family members live in the area and provide important familial support.

Employment
At the beginning of 2009, Mikel was deployed overseas with the U.S. Navy. He has been with the military for five years and has also works for an auto parts chain. His future career goals include positions in commercial diving and underwater welding, as well as retiring in the reserves. Alissa has been working as a waitress and childcare provider for the past few months. Her main goals, present and future, are to take care of her family.

Housing Need
The Talton family lives with Alissa’s parents in Carnation. It is a tight fit for four adults and three children – especially with only one bathroom. Currently Mikel, Alissa and their two youngest children share one bedroom. Mikel and Alissa pay half the mortgage, which constitutes more than 30 percent of their modest income.

Other Information
Mikel, Alissa, and their kids enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, kite flying, and going to the park. Mikayla is involved in a youth group at their church. The Talton family wants the chance to set “roots in a community” and with the help of Habitat, they will be able to do that in their own home.

Habitat for Humanity of East King County selects prospective homeowners in accordance with non-discriminatory policies as established by the Fair Housing Act.