“All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them,” – Walt Disney.
Damaris Diaz and Aldo Zempoaltecatl Xicali have dreamed about moving into their own home for years, and they are excited to see this dream come true this fall. The couple and their children, Amaya (3) and Mateo (1) currently live with Damaris’ parents, Gustavo and Itzel Diaz, in their Habitat home.
Originally from Los Angeles, Damaris and her family moved to Bloomington in 2005 to look for better work. After several years, they were introduced to the Habitat program – along with Gustavo’s brother, Arturo, who is also a Habitat homeowner. Aldo moved to Bloomington in 2011 from his home in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico in pursuit of a better living. Now, the growing Diaz family shares tight quarters in Gustavo’s once-spacious 5-bedroom home, and Damaris and Aldo are excited to move their family into their own home.
“We are living in an overcrowded house where one is needing something while another is still using it. Where patience is needed. But overall, we love being with each other. Sometimes, we just all need our own space. We look forward to having a home for us,” Damaris says.
Aldo currently works as a server at El Ranchero, while Damaris cares for their young children. The two have worked hard to earn their sweat equity hours in a short amount of time; they have volunteered together nearly every weekend since being accepted into the program in the fall of 2019. Many of their hours have been earned on the construction site, so they are excited to transfer those skills to their own home. This excitement is familiar to Damaris, who also helped with the construction of her parents’ and uncle’s homes.
“It’s so exciting to build your own home. We’ve made so many memories already,” Damaris says. “One doesn’t learn just one thing, but so many! From building a house from the bottom up to working with so many others, it is something great – like getting to meet the crew leaders.”
“We are grateful and blessed to have our home built by Women Build. I’m thankful for everyone’s hard work with Habitat!”
The Zempoaltecatl Xicali-Diaz Family’s home is sponsored by Monroe County Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County Women Build.