The Ortiz Family at the 2018 Clarke Estates Dedication.
The 2018 holiday season is a little bit more heartwarming than usual for our four Clarke Estates partner families. The Chavez, Hayes, Nall, and Ortiz families all moved into their Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) houses just in time to celebrate the holidays in their new homes.
“Now that we are homeowners, the holiday season seems even more joyful and bright,” says Tiffany Ortiz. Every week since she and her husband, Carlos, moved into their Habitat LA home, their children (Sarah, 9, Ruben, 8, and Daniel, 7) have been asking “when are we decorating the OUTSIDE of our new house?”
“We have always enjoyed driving by houses adorned with Christmas lights and have always dreamed of the day when we would do the same, “says Tiffany. “It’s amazing to think that this year we will finally have the opportunity to make new memories and establish new traditions with our little family.”
We hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year in our new home. As we bowed our heads in thanks, and I counted the many blessings we’ve received this year, my heart swelled with so much gratitude for the amazing opportunity and gift we’ve been given to be homeowners.Tiffany Ortiz, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles Partner Homeowner
Latora Nall and her 9-year-old son, Oliver Roberts, are also celebrating their first holiday season in their new homes, as are Fidel and Eugenia Chavez and their three daughters Kasandra, 13, Rubi, 12, and Jazmin, 9. Durneall Hayes moved into the fourth Clarke Estates home with her daughter, Ronnika, 15, her grandson Daquen, 16, and her granddaughter Mayshayla Houston, 13. All four families contributed 500 hours of sweat equity to their three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. They also participated in Habitat LA’s Family Investment Program workshops and will pay an affordable mortgage. They received keys to their new residences in August and have been busy turning their houses into homes ever since.