On Friday morning, volunteers for Trinity Habitat for Humanity began work on a brand new home for a very deserving Fort Worth family.
The event is made possible through sponsorships by Telemundo 39, NBC 5, and Cars for Homes as part of Telemundo 39's 20th-anniversary celebration.
"Doing good things happens in both languages, in both stations," NBC5/Telemundo39 President and General Manager Tom Ehlmann said. "It's always fun when we can get the two stations on the same page, doing the same thing, at the same time."
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This will be a life-changing moment for the Gonzalez family, who has been approved to purchase the home as part of Habitat for Humanity’s program to assist families in purchasing affordable, beautiful homes.
"Now that we're here and putting the walls up, everything is starting to slowly kick in and it's exciting," future homeowner Arnulfo Gonzalez said. "Just seeing him work that hammer, I'm just like, he's so in the zone! It's exciting. I'm just so happy that it's happening," Crystal Gonzalez said.
The family has been through many challenges over the past year.
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Arnulfo Gonzalez is an army veteran who served in Afghanistan and now works for the City of Fort Worth. His wife, Crystal, just overcame a battle with COVID-19 in 2021 that put her in the hospital for five months. Doctors did not think she would make it.
All the while, the couple, along with the two children and two dogs, have been living in a crowded townhouse after years of moving as a military family.
"I'm thankful and I just prayed for this moment. It's like a dream come true for our house," said Crystal. "Just to have our kids here with us. And they can have their own home, their own rooms."
When Crystal got sick, their Habitat dream home application was put on hold, but she was able to pull through.
"Just having them put it on hold for us for so long while was in the hospital and then just pushing forward after that," Crystal said. "You know, it was the Lord there for us, too. He was there for me through everything, and He's still there now, and I'm just grateful to all of Habitat.”
After everything, the family told NBC 5 News that owning this new home will be so much more meaningful.
"It was one of the most difficult things I've been through. Trying to be with her at the hospital, me working and trying to take care of the kids to make sure they're fed," said Arnulfo. "I just feel real happy. We worked hard, had a lot of stress, a lot of frustration, and heartache with my wife being in the hospital for so long with COVID. I'm really happy."
Cars for Homes, the other main sponsor of the house, is a branch of Habitat for Humanity. When you donate a car to Cars for Homes, all proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity and no other charity.
“The pandemic has been very hard on everybody," said Marcia Rundle, director of Cars for Homes. “But I think it was hardest on the people who could least afford to take all the precautions, people who work on the frontlines, who had to go to work every day. They're the ones who really suffered the most. And they are the families that we usually build with.”
Part of the process for the Gonzalez family to own their home includes free ownership education classes, counseling services, and 200 hours of "sweat equity," where the family themselves get to take part in the construction of their own home.
This will also be the first veteran family for which Trinity Habitat will build a home.
"Our veterans are heroes in every way, form and fashion that they could be. Freedom comes at a price and those men and women paid that price. So we owe them everything," said Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity. "How awesome for him to serve all of us and for us to come back and serve him and his family."
Crews are wasting no time in getting this house built. It will take months to complete but the goal is to present a portion of the home to the family on Veterans Day this November 11.
"It's a very long timeline from start to finish because before we ever show up here, we're recruiting families, buying real estate, developing land, working with the city on the various compliance and things that we need," said Yager.
When construction continues after the November dedication, time and care will be taken to make sure everything is safe, sound and ready to move in for the family once it's completed.
"We build a better quality house than anybody else. Habitats in general -- if volunteers are donating his or her time and money -- they want to make sure it's done right. So they take the time," said Yager. "We have leadership on the side that knows how to do it. We build Energy Star-certified houses. We build to the Fortified standard, which is 140 mile an hour wind blast standard. Nobody else in the state of Texas builds to that standard. We do because we want to do it right."
Volunteers and donations are needed to keep this mission and many others going. Click here for more information on how to get involved with Trinity Habitat for Humanity.
People can also donate their used vehicles to Cars for Homes to help support the cause.
NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 will be following along from start to finish.
Friday will be just day one of the build, with work set to run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 employees will be a part of multiple build days to help the home come to life.
"We do a lot of volunteering. And our employees love to volunteer and get out in the community. Being in the television station business gives them that opportunity frequently," said Ehlmann. "So we have a lot of great employees doing great things."