WE MADE IT

We were born and raised in a little town in Mexico called Juan Lucas, Guanajuato; life there is really hard. There are barely any jobs that pay enough to make a living; most people actually make it because they inherited land they can work on. My wife and I had to drop out of school at a really young age. I completed 6th grade and Guadalupe only 3rd; we did not live a normal childhood. We had to work to help our parents meet ends.

I had to cross over the border to the United States to help my family have a better life; I came to Texas at a young age to work, and I would go back and forth to my hometown to visit family. At one of those visits when I was in my 40’s is when Guadalupe and I started a relationship and decided not to waste time and married. After our wedding, we both agreed that our lives would be better if we came to the United States to start our family, so we packed our bags and came to live in McKinney in 1998. We have moved from apartment complex to apartment complex and in a mobile home at a trailer park. Our nephew offered to rent us a detached room/studio at his house in McKinney, and we have been there since 2007. The place worked out great for us two until it started to have plumbing, electrical, and roofing problems, not to mention the neighborhood turned out to be dangerous these past years due to robberies.

We heard about Habitat from a close friend and Habitat Homeowner and decided to give it a shot and apply to become homeowners ourselves. That was the best decision we have ever taken because, thankfully, we got approved and are getting so much help and information on how to become successful homeowners. Attending the monthly meetings and learning how to keep up with our finances has been a blessing since we did not know how to start this journey. Also, being able to help build our own home and work on other people’s houses is a fantastic feeling.

Guadalupe and I can finally say we are living “ The American Dream.” It took many years, but now, thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Collin County, the sponsors, and volunteers, we can proudly say WE MADE IT!