Villa Margarita
A very special BAM community
On October 30, 2021, we broke ground on a very special project called Villa Margarita. Villa Margarita is a big complex that we are building from the ground up that, when completed, will consist of 25 homes, an auditorium, and a place for 7 small businesses.
What is villa Margarita?
Villa Margarita is an apartment complex with 24 homes and an auditorium that we built for families who do not own their land.
The families that are living in Villa Margarita are a little different than our other families because they have suffered so much financially over the years that they were never able to gather enough resources to purchase the land where they lived. Not because they didn’t work hard enough for it, but because no matter how hard they worked making $80-$120 a week, they could not feed their children, take care of basic life necessities, and have any amount left to go toward purchasing land. In fact, it is always more surprising to us when a family does figure out a way to purchase their land with the salaries they make, rather than when they don’t.
Throughout the years, we have never been able to build homes for families that do not own their land because if we put one of our beautiful homes on the property, it is likely that the owner of the land would return and kick them out to take possession of the house. It is always particularly difficult for our leaders when they are searching for new families to help and they come across these families. It breaks their hearts to see them suffering knowing that we cannot build a home for them.
This is where Margie, a dear friend of BAM, came in. She wanted to do something to help these families, who are the most disadvantaged that we come across, to be able to have a roof over their head. She sent our leaders on a search to find land and then she purchased 2 plots that were big enough for us to build Villa Margarita.
VILLA MARGARITA GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
On October 30, 2021, after 2 years of planning and fundraising, we were able to begin the construction of Villa Margarita. There was so much excitement and emotion as the families came onto the grounds! Hope filled the air as, one by one, they walked into this beautiful place.
Each of the Villa Margarita families have volunteered over and above the 500 hours required over the past several years while we have been working on getting this community built. The Villa Margarita families also gathered regularly with BAM psychologists as well as on their own for months so that they could get to know one another better before moving into Villa Margarita.
It has been incredible to witness how much their lives had already changed by being a part of the Build A Miracle community, before the construction of their homes even started.
One of the most touching things at the groundbreaking ceremony was to witness the elation and tearful reaction of the leaders who had worked SO hard to find the families and then motivate them for months and years to continue participating in order to hopefully receive the blessing of a home.
Each family laid down a block of the foundation. They will contribute to the community and make it a better place to live. They are the foundation of Villa Margarita.
Children from the families were called up to cut the green ribbon to the site of their future home.
THE STORY OF ONE SPECIAL VILLA MARGARITA FAMILY
The Uyeda García Family (Reina 30, Jesus 30, Jesus Enrique 5, Leon 3), moved into their Villa Margarita home in 2022.
In the words of the Build A Miracle leaders about the Uyeda Garcia Family:
Mr. Jesus works in a warehouse company with a salary of $100 weekly, in a shift from Monday to Saturday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Mrs. Reina is dedicated to the care of their children, being a stay-at-home mom, and she also helps us in the Community Center. From Monday to Friday she volunteers in the learning cells, where she takes the temperatures of the kids and she is in charge of the bus on Mondays and Wednesdays. In the mornings, she helps in the child care area, taking care of the children under 5 years old. On Saturdays she helps us by cleaning the Community Center and Plaza San José, she also helps with community clean-up days and BAM house building projects. Their son, Jesus, goes to a BAM learning cell from Monday to Friday and is graduating from preschool. Leon goes to the child care area at the Community Center. They are very a participatory family. Mr. Jesus has problems with his spine and his heart and that is why he cannot do too much or carry heavy things. They are currently living in Jesus mother’s home, but she also lives there and she wants to sell the place, which will leave them with nowhere to go. They do not have land or government housing. They started working to earn hours toward their home in December 2018 and they currently have 420 volunteer hours. During the height of the pandemic, they could not participate because of Jesus’ health.
Every Villa Margarita move-in so far has been incredibly emotional as the families tearfully walk into each room in disbelief that this could possibly be real, and that they could, after a lifetime of struggle, actually have a dignified place to live.
It was beautiful to witness the excitement on the faces of the Uyeda García family when they first walked through the door! They were overcome with emotions as they felt the outpouring of love from their community in their beautiful, decorated new home! They went from room to room amazed by all the furniture and all that they saw.
Villa Margarita Today
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
As of December, 2023, 11 families have moved into their homes in Villa Margarita and 6 more are expected to move in soon.
The completed auditorium is being utilized for events, educational classes, and orchestra rehearsals on a daily basis. Our team is working hard to plan more activities for the auditorium, such as dance and chess classes, workshops with psychologists, schooling for adults, and installing computers for the families to take classes and work on their homework. As part of our home reading program, kids who read a certain amount were recently treated to a movie day at the auditorium. In addition, high school students participated in a college prep workshop that focused on resume building and selecting the best college for their future aspirations.
Our long-term vision is to construct six businesses at the front of the property, with six more homes built above those businesses. We also hope to create a big open courtyard in the middle that will be a park setting with a kids play area, BBQs, etc.
We are excited to continue to help this wonderful community grow, where we can provide a place for more families who don’t own their land, who are typically the most disadvantaged families that we encounter.