Why we Build
Habitat International continues to share with us stories of inspirational Habitat homeowners across the globe. Here is Maricella’s story.
Maricella Martinez does not give up. In the space of a year, she lost her beloved husband to disease and her human resources job to corporate downsizing. As a result, she soon had to give up the home where she had raised two young children.
Partnering with Habitat to build her family a new house that she could afford, she says, was truly empowering. Through the process, she learned how to be the head of the household, how to be a successful single mom. She also learned that she was good at helping others.
Life, however, was not through with Maricella. A car accident put her on a slow road to recovery, but did not shake her faith in her ability to navigate the path ahead. She is back at work, passing on the security and stability that she feels in her Habitat house to her kids. She believes that her purpose in life is to inspire and serve others.
“I tried saying ‘I can’t,’” she says. “And it doesn’t work. It doesn’t change what happened to you.”
Building a Habitat house can result in so much more than the physical structure. It instills confidence, creates community and helps families like Maricella’s weather whatever is ahead.
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