July 4^th celebrates the birthday of America and is celebrated throughout the country with family and friends gathering for barbecues, firework shows and parades.  As we celebrate this significant day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted, we think about our founders affecting change so they could live with freedom, independence, and the pursuit of happiness.

Homeownership is the quintessential American dream. It is a form of independence and freedom that is becoming harder to achieve as home prices continue to soar.  Our history of independence stems from affecting change. Each one of us can affect change when it comes to the affordable housing crisis in San Gabriel Valley. SGV Habitat opens its doors to the community to create opportunities that allow everyone to participate in reaching out a hand to help families move away from the financial burden and stresses associated with renting and realize the dream of homeownership.

Families like Tamer’s. These hard-working parents of 2 young children lived in a cramped apartment in a neighborhood with subpar schools and limited parks for their children to play. Now they live in a home, where each child has their own room and a yard for the children to play in whenever they desire. This is especially helpful to the young boy who has dreams of becoming a soccer player.  He told us he can now practice soccer anytime he wants, in his own backyard.

The father, Tamer, expressed his feelings about his house with these words, “We no longer worry about how to pay rent, or when our rent will increase. So much time I spent worrying, it consumed my life. Now we have dreams. We are optimistic about the future and do not feel so much pressure. My children have a better life. We are so grateful to SGV Habitat and all the donors.”

As we reflect on our country’s independence and what that means to each of us as individuals, we hope you will remember the words of Tamer. He now has the freedom to create a stable and financially secure life for his family affecting positive change today and for future generations to come. He is one of many in the SGV Habitat family on this July 4^th that is living what the founders established for our country, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Wishing you a Happy 4^th of July.