During the summer, Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys dedicated five homes to local families, celebrating the hard work, commitment and community support that make homeownership possible.
Yanet Miranda and Rafael Perez kicked off the series of summer dedications on June 25. Perez has been a local business owner for 15 years, while Miranda began her career at Sandal Factory in 2007. Through hard work, she quickly advanced from stocking merchandise to becoming the store manager. After years of giving back to their community, they can now affordably remain in the place they so proudly call home.
The Doorly family received the keys to their new home on July 15. As a Key Largo School teacher and mother of three, Allison Doorly spends her days making a difference in the community and helping shape the next generation of local leaders. Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys had the opportunity to partner with Allison and her family. Through affordable homeownership, Habitat hopes to provide her family with the stability and foundation to thrive.
On July 24, Sarah Bennett, along with her daughters, officially turned her hard work into a home. A pharmacist and proud single mother, Sarah has spent years caring for others and putting her family first, demonstrating hard work, resilience and commitment to her family. Through partnership with Habitat, she and her family can build lasting memories for years to come.
On Aug. 7, Habitat welcomed Lauren Wilder and Patrick Cirulli, along with their three children, into homeownership. Wilder, a waitress, and Cirulli, an employee of Monroe County, are dedicated members of the Upper Keys community. Together, they completed over 350 sweat equity hours, turning hard work into a place they can call home.
On Aug. 21, Habitat will celebrate Silvia Eufrasio and her son, Cristobal Gonzalez, as they take another step toward homeownership. Eufrasio came to the Florida Keys from Mexico nearly 15 years ago with her three daughters and son, and has spent those years building a life in the community she now calls home. She has worked at McDonald’s since arriving in the Keys and is a manager at the Tavernier location, while Gonzalez has worked as a chef for the past 15 years and currently works at Sundowners. After 15 years of calling the Keys home, Eufrasio and Gonzalez are coming together to make the dream of owning a home a reality. Their story is an example of the determination, sacrifice and years of hard work that go into creating a place to call home.
These families represent what can happen when determination, partnership and community support come together. Their stories are a reminder that a home is more than four walls — it is a foundation for stability, opportunity and a brighter future.
Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization dedicated to eliminating poverty and substandard housing worldwide. The organization has built and renovated over 200,000 houses worldwide since 1976.
HfHUK works in partnership with people in need to build decent, affordable housing. The houses are then sold to those in need at no profit and with no interest charged. Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys serves Key Largo, Tavernier and Islamorada.
Habitat partners with CBT Construction on all builds and cites the support of donors: Publix Super Markets Charities, Baptist Health, Ocean Reef Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys and Wells Fargo.
