“If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters daydreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.”  — Gaston Bachelard

Jose and Miriam have long dreamt of owning their own home and a having stable place for themselves and their children, Michelle (20), Anthony (15) and Brandon (13) to plant roots in the community and build a better future. After Michelle graduated high school in 2018, they moved from Bedford to Bloomington to be closer to their support network of friends and to give the entire family more opportunities socially, career-wise, and for the boys’ education.

The family loves being outdoors and making the most of each and every day; they cannot wait to have a yard of their own and room for their dog to run around and play safely. If they’re not outside together, they enjoy spending time together watching movies or playing games.

The family is currently living in an overcrowded apartment that has continual problems with plumbing and water damage—they all look forward to having a safe, clean place to call home forever. “I look forward for all of us to have a place to call our own, where we can enjoy being together and make some great memories” shared Miriam. “Living in the apartment has made us closer as a family but we all need our space—whether it is for studying/homework or just to relax at the end of the day.”

They heard about Habitat from some friends who are also Habitat homeowners and were excited to apply and be accepted into the program. “We have wanted to be homeowners for a long time now but it is it not easy to purchase a home,” said Jose. They are looking forward to working to build their own house and appreciate the opportunities Habitat has brought into their lives.

“Our best memory so far has been not just learning how to build a house, but working with an entire community to do it,” the family shared. “We can’t wait to watch our own house being built from the ground up.”

The Montano-Guzman and Clavel-Martinez family home is sponsored by the Trevinos.