Luis Noel, Aracely, and several other members of their family live in the region of Jinotega, Nicaragua in the village of El Mojón. Each of them was both born and raised in this community. For income, Aracely raises pigs along with her responsibility of caring for the children while Luis Noel works as an agricultural truck driver.
The small and unstable house this family was living in gradually got to be in pretty rough shape. In fact, it was so structurally unsound that it could have collapsed at any moment. The walls were actually starting to rot due to adverse weather conditions, and the home’s soil foundation was quickly eroding away as well. Something had to be done to help this family find safe, adequate housing.
Desperate for better living conditions, Luis Noel and Aracely moved in with one of Aracely’s cousins who had a family of four. With both families residing under the same roof, the living conditions were extremely crowded. It was quite a challenging time for everyone involved. This less than ideal situation stretched on for 13 long months.
That’s when Bridges to Community came into the picture. In August of 2019, a group of our organization’s volunteers built the family their very own brand new home. Luis Noel and Aracely are beyond thankful to have the opportunity to benefit from the team’s applied skills and hard work. They’re relieved to finally have enough space, plenty of privacy, and a home that offers structural safety to their family. They no longer have to live in a cramped space in a relative’s home or worry about their own home collapsing on top of them. Instead, they can relax and enjoy spending quality time together as a family after their working hours are done.
Aracely expressed her gratitude to the group who gave of their time, talents, and resources to turn her dream into a reality. She acknowledged that, due to their financial limitations, building a new home would not have been possible for them without the help of Bridges to Community. She thanks God, those who donated to the project, and everyone who was involved in making a way for her family to enjoy a better quality of life.
You, too, can play an important role in transforming the lives of people living in impoverished conditions. Bridges to Community (bridgestocommunity.org) has been reaching out to those in need in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic ever since 1992. We offer a whole host of short term volunteer opportunities. Maybe you’re hoping to join a volunteer group on your own. Or perhaps you’re part of a faith-based group, workplace, or student organization that would like to travel to one of our service destinations as a team. If you aren’t able to go on a trip, you could help to donate to this worthy cause. Your dedication and generosity can make a positive difference in the lives of individual families like that of Luis Noel and Aracely, as well as entire communities.
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