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Corina says that she would encourage anyone
to apply: "It's worth it—definitely."
A safe home for her children
Their current rental house has a severe fuel oil leak. The smell
permeates everything, including the children's clothes. Thirteen-year-old
Jonathan, 10-year-old Ignacio and 9-year-old Alyssa are mocked for
the way they smell when they go to school.
Two-year-old Tomas doesn't have to deal with being ridiculed; he
is just trapped in the house breathing the fumes all day.
The man who came to check the furnace told her that the fumes were
not dangerous, but Corina isn't sure she believes that. Regardless,
there are other things in and around her house she definitively
knows are unsafe: lead paint on the porches, patches of mold throughout
the basement and gaping holes in the backyard are just a few of
the problems in the old house.
The family doesn't go upstairs anymore; too much paint was flaking
off, even falling into the children's mouths while they slept. Upstairs
the sounds of the animals that get into the third floor are also
more disturbing. The entire family "camps out" on the
living floor and couches.
Corina had heard of Habitat but never thought of applying till
a co-worker brought her a flier from the local affiliate. Corina
says that she would encourage anyone to apply: "It's worth
it—definitely."
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