Cirilo has called Bloomington home since the year 2000, when he moved from Mexico to join family already living here. “I was seeking more opportunities here in this country than what I had in Mexico,” he explained. Now, after 25 years, he has built a life centered on hard work and family.
He works as a dishwasher at two restaurants – Applebee’s and Smokin’ Jack’s Rib Shack – to support his children. Two of his kids, Brian and Laura, live with him, while four older children – two in Mexico and two in the U.S.—are now living independently. “I am responsible for them,” he said of Brian and Laura, who are his focus at home. Brian enjoys playing video games, while Laura is busy with high school and a part-time job.
Cirilo applied to Habitat because he wanted “a better place to live for me and especially for my kids from this point forward.” After years in an apartment building crowded with neighbors above and beside them, he looks forward to the freedom and space of a Habitat home. “I think that in our new home we are going to have more freedom to do things the way that we want to do them and maybe develop friendships with our neighbors. We are going to be able to have plants and cultivate them, and there will be more room for the cats. It will be really great to have the park so close by.”
Volunteering with Habitat has been a meaningful part of the journey. “What I like best about volunteering at the construction site is learning how a house is built in this country and helping to build it,” he shared. At ReStore, he enjoys “seeing where all the different household items are located and helping the clients.” In both places, the connections he has made stand out most. “I really enjoy getting to know and working with the other volunteers and with the people in charge.”
Cirilo has already met some future neighbors at Osage Place. “I think that bit by bit we are going to meet the other neighbors who already live in the neighborhood and also the new neighbors who will come to live there,” he said. The chance to grow those relationships is something he looks forward to.
The Habitat program has been both challenging and eye-opening. “I never had the chance to go to school in Mexico. I have learned some important things in the classes, and my daughter and I have talked about some of the different topics we covered.” To make it all possible, he worked with his restaurant managers to adjust his schedule.
“The truth is that in the past I had applied for the Habitat program several times, but this time a co-worker helped me a lot with the application, and also explained many things about the program to me. Mariluz gave me a lot of support, and she always took into account my particular situation and the challenges that I was facing. And I, myself, paid better attention to everything this time around.”
Cirilo has worked hard to fulfill every requirement of the program, balancing two jobs, volunteer hours, classes, and parenting. “I think that up to this point, I have fulfilled all the many requirements of the program. I have worked hard to do that. And when I truly succeed in getting the house, I believe that I am going to feel proud and be very happy.”
Cirilo’s home is sponsored by:
