40 Stories from 40 Years: A Home, a Shelter, a Safe Haven

Delia’s family were migrants who lived in California and came to Washinton during the summers to pick strawberries, raspberries, and cucumbers. Delia ran away from home at age 15, got married, and had three children – all girls – with her now ex-husband.   

After a divorce, Delia started over, pursuing a degree in human services from Pierce College. She recalls taking care of her own daughters and two other children while trying to complete her degree. 

“It was hard. I would take them to the park during the day and study at night. You do what you must do,” Delia says. 

Delia received her degree and began working as a case manager. She was good at her job and loved working with people. During that time, she met her current husband, Jose. They had two children together and the family moved into a small trailer.  

“It was in really bad condition. There were cockroaches everywhere and we couldn’t get rid of them,” Delia recalls. “And we had moved so many times that we were exhausted.” 

“I knew about Habitat when I was a case manager. I used to find out about resources so that I could pass them on to my clients,” Delia said. With rent on their trailer continuing to increase, Delia realized she and Jose should apply to Habitat themselves. 

Delia and Jose attended a homeownership orientation. Around that time, her son became ill, and her husband stopped working to stay home and care for him, which left Delia as the sole breadwinner. She and Jose spent 18 months in the Habitat homeownership program working on their credit and doing 500 hours of sweat equity, the required number at the time. They finally became homeowners in 2012. 

Delia’s three older children are now grown, with children of their own. Her two children with Jose – Jose Jr and Claudia – still live at home as they finish school.  

“We tell our kids it doesn’t matter if you are 100 years old; you can stay here as long as you want,” says Delia. “Just know that there are rules and you have to respect those rules no matter how old you are.” 

Claudia is following in her mother’s footsteps studying Human Services at Pierce College and Jose Jr is getting his GED and then pursuing an associate’s degree in construction. Claudia’s quinceañera photos hang on the wall, surrounded by photos of Delia’s other daughters and 10 grandchildren.  

Delia takes pride in her home and the fact that she was able to put in sweat equity hours on it. Her home has become a haven as she navigates the challenges of severe fibromyalgia, which has made it difficult for her to work. She hopes her children will become homeowners themselves someday, but knows that no matter what, her Habitat home has helped her family build a stable future and a safe place to always call home.   

“That’s become a magical thing in my life, because my family moved so many times when I was a child. We were so unstable,” Delia says. “My dream since I was a little girl was always to work to buy a home, because it’s such a good investment – not just for you, but also for your children.”