Habitat for Humanity, FirstBank rebuild home in Loíza
As part of its commitment to help improve living conditions for people with low and moderate income, FirstBank awarded a grant to Habitat for Humanity to help pay restoration expenses for a home in Loíza.
The structure owned by Regino Jiménez, 84, and Margarita Forty, 76, was severely damaged by Hurricane María in September of last year.
During the last two months, more than 54 volunteers lead by Habitat staff were welcomed by the couple, who have been married for 35 years. Based on the concept of mutual help and self-effort, they worked a total of approximately 220 hours to repair the home. Repairs included removal of debris, installation of roof, windows, doors and wood panels; reconstruction of kitchen and bath, and indoor and outdoor painting.
“At FirstBank we are aware of the economic situation of thousands of families; in this case, we joined Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico to help Regino and Margarita return to live safely in their home,” said Catherine Ríos, community reinvestment officer at FirstBank.
“Our commitment is to guarantee their right to enjoy better living conditions, and today that has become a reality,” she said.
“We welcome Margarita and Regino to their newly restored home. For the past months, they confronted the need for a safe and decent place to live and, thanks to sponsors such as FirstBank and to our volunteers, their need for accessible housing has now been met,” said María del Mar Yañez-Torres of Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico.
The following sponsors also participated in the project: Schuster Aguiló LLC, The Home Depot Foundation, VALOR de FEMA program and the Municipality Loíza, the Miramar Jewish Community, and Cerámica Beatriz Martí.
