José and Celina Hernandez
Would you raise two young kids next to a noisy bar that’s open almost around the clock? José and Celina Hernandez don’t have a choice: family members who own the land they live on have opened a lucrative cantina right next door to them, and the party never stops. But Friday, at the dedication ceremony of the Millard & Linda Fuller Blitz Build, the couple and their sons, Salvador and Angel, will get the keys to a safe, peaceful home they helped build with The Fuller Center for Housing.
José ( 32) and Celina (29) are a very stable couple who, despite huge economic struggles, have managed to give their son a proper education, put food on the table, support each other and stay together. They live in the town of Santa Clara on land owned by José’s father. They have built a small tin shack, with no windows, in his back yard.
Celina has worked in factories before, but she quit her job when she got pregnant with her second son Angel, age one. She has a deformity in her right leg due to having polio as a child, but this has never stopped her from working hard for her family. José works as a driver in a factory in Olocuilta. He supports the family, but they struggle every month to cover their basic needs.
Celina’s in-laws have opened a cantina next door to their shack. This has created a great feeling of discomfort for Celina and her family. The bar opens every day in the morning and closes very late at night. Loud music and drunken people fill the neighborhood. Celina and José are afraid to argue with their relatives: after all, they’re the ones who own the land! The couple is very concerned about bringing up their two children in this unhealthy environment, especially since their older son Salvador is already seven and will soon reach the age when he’ll want to try new things and be easily influenced.
Celina is a fantastic volunteer at The Fuller Center work site. Even though the physical tasks are hard on her leg, she works the whole day, putting in sweat equity to build the home that will provide a wholesome environment for the boys.
“When I first met Celina I was struck by the positive energy that she transmits,” says Carmen Gallardo, Fuller Center project assistant. “She has worked so hard to get this dream of a new house, and everyone will be happy for her and her family when they move in. Celina is an inspiration to all of us”.
