The Gaim and Woldettensae Family

Hagos Gaim and Saba Woldettensae were both born in the east African country of Eritrea but met and married in Oakland. They have three sons ages 7, 5, and 3. Hagos and Saba are excited to be able to now, through Habitat’s homeownership program, save for their children’s future education and provide them with a safe home. Hagos has enjoyed building his own house so much that he has vowed to return as a volunteer after moving in.

The McQuinn Family

Hana McQuinn was born and raised in San Francisco and has now lived in Oakland for 9 years. Not only is she an active community organizer with voting drives, employment training, college advising, homeless outreach, and other projects, she is also a dedicated mother for her two daughters, ages 16 and 9, and two sons, ages 9 and 7. After Hana and her children become permanent residents of West Oakland they will continue to improve and participate in their community.

The Hodges Family

Robyn Hodges already has her sights set beyond just becoming a homeowner. Within five years she wants to transform her love of painting into a business by opening an art company. She is currently developing a website that will showcase her talent. She wants to use the site to encourage her 14-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter “to highlight their uniqueness.”

The Molina Family

David and Maria Molina have three children, 14 year old Jose, 11 year old Christopher, and 9 year old Kenny.

The Contreras-Padilla Family

Lenis Contreras and Julio Padilla have four children.

Earl Smalley and Family

Earl Smalley Jr has two daughters, 16 year old Elisha and 8 year old Elana.

The Tan / Li Family

Han Tan & Ruie Li have 3 children, 14 year old Leon, 10 year old Tony, and 9 year old Kelly. They all currently live in a one-bedroom in Oakland in order to save money. Han explains, "Having a home of our own is our dream. However, this dream seems out of reach for an immigrant family such as ours. The only way to realize this dream is to work hard, and live below our means.... After saving up for over a decade, we have barely enough for a down payment on a home. However, with the recent increase in housing proces in the Bay Area, for a low income family like mine, even with down payment taken care of, we cannot afford the mortgage payments. We are unable to reach our goal, no matter how hard we worked and saved. The gap between our income and the housing prices is simply too wide to bridge. Just when we were feeling the most hopeless, a friend told me about this housing project that can help me purchase a home. We know that with your (EBH) help, we can surely fulfill our dream of owning a home in America. We sincerely hope that you can help us. We wish to be like other parents who are able to provide their children with a wonderful childhood and a wonderful home." Beyond having a Habitat Home, which they say will give them more space and privacy and a place for their children to play, their dream for the next 5-years is for their children to go to high school and then go on to college.

Beverly Loyo and Family

Beverly Loyo is invested in providing permanent housing for her grand-daughter Shakara Tilghman and Shakara's mother Sharleen Clark. Sharleen is pursuing higher education under the encouragment and support of Beverly.

The Zavala Family

David and Maria have three children 20 year old German, 19 year old Rosanna, and 8 month old Kimberly.