Meet the Sanchez Family:
Gabriel, Francisca and their three children spent their nights cramped on a single mattress in an old, abandoned trailer, while the grandparents slept in a tent outside, exposed to the cold, rain, dust and insects. This is hardly the way three generations of a family, or anybody really, should be living.
Gabriel works hard for to provide for the needs of his family. He works as a nighttime security guard in 12-hour shifts and raises chickens as additional income. In addition to normal family expenses Gabriel works hard to cover the bills of his daughter Gabby’s surgeries.
At only eight years old, Gabby has already undergone six surgeries to treat her cleft lip. Despite this hardship, she doesn’t let her disability hinder her—her spirited smile says it all.
Francisca, Gabby’s mother, also has this condition in common with her. She works hard as a phone operator to help provide her daughter with the treatments that she herself was not able to afford.
Last month, a team came to build the Sanchez family a new home. We visited with the family just a few weeks later to hear how they were doing in their new home.
“I feel so much more secure leaving my family home when I go to work the night shift… I know they are safe.” — Gabriel, father
“Before, all five of us shared one bed… Now my sisters and I have our very own bed! …thank you for my new home!” —Gabby, daughter
The new home also means that the grandparents no longer have to live in a tent either, and they have since moved into the trailer. Gaby had her surgery last week and now she is able to come home to a safe place that is clean and has space for her to rest and recover.
Both Gabriel and Francisca work very hard to provide their daughters with a better future. This home helps them do just that. It’s more than four walls and a roof—it’s a home that brings them hope for a better future to come.