A Penitas family now has a place to call home thanks to a group of women from across the state who volunteered to build them a house.
Maria and Osvaldo Salazar and their two young sons received the keys to a brand new home on Friday.
More than a dozen women volunteered with Buckner International and the Women's Missionary Union in Texas to spent the past week building a home for the Salazar family from the bottom up.
“When we first drove into this colonia it struck us that this was part of the United States,” said volunteer Sandy Wisdom-Martin. “That you would see such extreme poverty in the United States. It just tugged at our hearts."
This is Sandy Wisdom-Martin's second home she has helped build in the neighborhood but it's not her last.’
"We bring all kinds of equipment and a willing heart but only a couple of the women on our team are skilled,” said Sandy. “The rest are just willing to work and try new things."
Living in a nearby one room trailer, Osvaldo said the help was badly needed.
"These people arrived in the right place at the precise moment,” said Osvaldo.
Which Osvaldo realizes doesn't happen to everyone.
"It's a huge help, because not everyone gives you a house,” said Osvaldo. “This doesn't happen on every corner."
Six years since they moved to the valley from Nuevo Leon, it will be the first place the Salazar's can call home.
"My children are going to have their first house,” said Osvaldo. “It's a great joy."
And it's that joy that Sandy said will bring her back to help another family.
"We want to keep coming back here and see what we can do to help." said Sandy.
Buckner International is also helping the family with educational classes to help with their business.
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