Carmen Rodas Family

The best way to describe Doña Carmen is, “she is the backbone of her family.” She lives with her twin sons, Daniel Eduardo, Ruben Eduardo and her three grandchildren, Estrella, Jimena, and Bryan, who she cares for full time. The house they were renting was poorly made and water would enter each time it rained. Doña Carmen wanted something better for her family, but with a low monthly income, finding a house with enough room for a family of six, on a small budget, was difficult.

Carmen knew about Habitat and wanted a change and with help from her older children, she was able to purchase land to build her Habitat home. The family now lives in their Habitat home, and although the house is slightly smaller than their prior rental, its clean conditions and properly insulated walls and ceiling against the rain make it all worthwhile—and there’s still enough space for everyone.

Doña Carmen fondly remembers the volunteers who came to help. “I have a lot of memories of them – how well they treated the children, how they came to put their hands to work to help my family.”

She says of the group, “may God bless them, take care of them. It was a short time that we were together, but I hope that one day they will come back to see us.”