MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2001
Habitat helps refugees find a home
By MaryAnn Kromer
Staff Writer
A family of five finally has found a place to call home.
About 50 people gathered at 219 Sixth Ave. as Habitat for Humanity dedicated a newly constructed home on Sunday afternoon. For the new owners, Mr. & Mrs. Luis Santillana and family, the occasion was the end of a tumultuous past and the start of a peaceful future.
As birds twittered in the sunny air, Luis Santillana stepped forward to address the gathering.
"Today is one of the most important days in our life. It is the culmination of one step in our long search for stability, safety and peace. Behind us are those hard times when we were unable to get the stability we were looking for.... We had to run away and escape, starting over again, here and there, and over and over again -- until now."
Luis and his wife Zoila arrived in Tiffin in December 1997 as refugees from their Central American homeland of El Salvador. They spoke no English and carried few possessions. Since then, with help from the Sisters of St. Francis, they have found employment and improved their English.
The sisters helped to reunite the couple with their three children, who stayed nearly two years with Luis' mother in Mexico before coming to Tiffin in September 1999. Now, the family is together with a home of their own and a place in the community.
Several of the sisters attended the dedication, providing music and prayers. Sister Paulette Schroeder presented a Bible to the Santillanas. Also on hand was Arthur Crower, legislative project coordinator of Habitat for Humanity. He explained that Habitat's goal is to build at least one home in all of Ohio's 99 legislative districts by the end of the year.
"We're going to build 30 by the end of June, this being one of them," he said. "I'm hoping to have this project spread through all 50 states by the time we're done. Hopefully, we're going to have built 7,424 homes ... Hopefully we'll be able to build 7,424 relationships with our local representatives that will open doors for us so that families like the Santillanas and others can have homes that wouldn't have otherwise."
State Sen. Larry Mumpher and State Rep. Rex Damschroder were the legislative sponsors for the Santillana home. The financial sponsors were National City Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio Department of Development and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.
Luis, Zoila, their children Carlos, Tanya and Boris, ages 20, 17 and 12, respectively, moved into the home on April 9. Luis' brother Vladimir also is staying with the family until he can return to his own wife and two children. All of them contributed their labor to the construction of the house.
Luis, who worked as an electrician in his home country, said he learned "how to hit the nails with the hammer" and new skills of painting and drywalling.
"I want to tell you this," Luis said. "There is no human power strong enough to tear us down at this time. What we have done here is the result of a joint effort.
"We used the best materials of all to build this house. I mean time, friendship, sharing and love. Now, we are in condition to say 'Mi casa es su casa.' Here you will find always a door open. To all of those who in some way, helped to make our dream come true, thank you very much. We are so grateful."