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Struthers family buys home from Habitat for Humanity
By William K. ALCORN
STRUTHERS
Josue and Thamary Rodriguez and their three daughters are getting the Christmas present of a lifetime: ownership of their own home.
Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County volunteers, sponsors and the Rodriguez family’s friends from church along with other well-wishers were on hand Saturday morning at 111 Narcissa Ave.
“We’ve been married 15 years, and owning our own home has always been at the top of our list of goals and dreams. The house is the last piece of the puzzle,” said Josue, who moved his family here from Connecticut shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.
“We decided it was time for a change,” he said in a telephone interview last week.
“We tried Ohio and found it way better. I got a good job at Starr Manufacturing in Vienna. They are really good people. God really did us a good one there,” he said.
“The Rodriguez family has been working hard in our program for more than two years and has met Habitat’s income and credit guidelines as well as completing many more than the 350 hours of required ‘sweat equity,’” said Monica Craven, Habitat executive director.
Josue has been on the construction site weekly, and Thamary, a seamstress who also worked in interior decorator, and their daughters assisted in ReStore, Habitat’s discount home improvement and building-supply store and in special events.
“Now Thamary will have her own place to decorate,” Josue said.
He said he is not a handyman, but the people he worked with on the house prepared him to be a homeowner. “I learned so much,” Josue said.
The house was started in September with the walls being constructed by students at Choffin Career & Technical School. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have worked on the home, coming from Youngstown State University, Zion Lutheran Church, Junior Civic League, Westminster College, Target and WKBN 27 Caring for Our Community.
The construction of the home was made possible by many local and national sponsors. Without their generous contributions, totaling more than $75,000, this home would not be possible, Craven said.
Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County is a faith-based, ecumenical, nonprofit builder of simple, decent and affordable homes for God’s low-income people in the community, she said.
This is the 34th house built in Mahoning County, and Habitat’s goal is to build four more homes in 2011. For more information about volunteering and donating, contact Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County at 330-743-7244.