Why We Do It

Imagine living where you did not feel safe due to physical threats, gang harassment, drug rings or drunks. 

Imagine if your home did not have heat or air conditioning. 

Imagine the fear of falling through rotting floors just crossing a room in your home. 

Imagine your household electrical system being a combination of extension cords. 

Imagine plumbing leaks damaging multiple rooms in your home.

Imagine there being no yard or safe place for your children to play.

Imagine being the breadwinner and not having a bedroom to sleep in.

Imagine living in small quarters with one or more other families.

Imagine the landlord refusing to fix problems or being afraid of negative consequences if you request repairs.

Imagine roof damage, usually from poorly maintained evaporative coolers, resulting in leakage which causes wall and floor damage inside.

Imagine only having one operable door into a home and windows that do not operate should a fire break out.

Imagine the lack of ventilation when windows do not operate.

As you can tell from the above list our Family Selections Committee members have seen a lot when doing home visits. Here are a few memorable situations for them:

• One of our committee members nearly fell through a floor that was rotting.

• One applicant slept on a cot in the living room so her son, his girlfriend and baby could have the only bedroom.

• Another applicant family had mother, children, grandparents and nephew sharing a single-wide mobile home.

• I have even seen one front door that no longer hung from the hinges due to rotten wood;  the door was lifted aside for our visit and replaced in the door way when we left.  As for security, the family was able to make some kind of a security arrangement with a chain, and they had a dog in the yard.  The son slept on a sofa in the living room where this door stood.

These are the housing conditions we at Mesilla Valley Habitat for Humanity are working to eliminate in Las Cruces. Read how we are changing these folks lives. See how the homeowners are working to get their 500 sweat equity hours in while learning new skills.

Won’t you help us give these folks a hand UP with their housing conditions? It is a true joy for both the families and volunteers when the day comes that the homeowners received the keys to their homes!