John and Carolina Guiterrez Arellano and their three small children of Sunland Park, a New Mexico border colonia, are thankful to have a home even though it has no gas, electricity, central air or heat, or an inside bathroom.
As winter approaches, the Arellanos and other families have many immediate and urgent needs. For example, the Arellano's and others will have to rely on oil lamps for light and small propane heaters for warmth.
In early December several HUD partners, including the New Mexico Conference of Churches, AmeriCorp*VISTA and the Sierra Blanca Presbyterian met to meet these immediate needs of 20 families like the Arellanos. Once the partners received the families' wish lists, they sprang into action providing dishes, cooking utensils, toys, books, games and warm clothes.
The group also began laying out their vision for the future.
Restored and rehabilitated houses and a new community center that offers GED courses, computer classes and job training for low-income residents will replace the dilapidated buildings and dusty roads of the colonia. And with the help of the Department and its partners, the families of Sunland Park may soon have their long-term wishes fulfilled too.