Aspen Realtor, Patricia Marquis Builds Three Homes for Families in Haiti
June 9, 2016
Patricia Marquis of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty joined Giveback Homes in October of 2015 with a commitment to donate a portion of her commissions for every sale she makes.
And Patricia has done just that! In November 2015, Patricia funded three homes for deserving families in Haiti.
Here are their stories:
#1 Justinvil and his family lost their home during the earthquake of 2010...this is their story!
Meet Justinvil and family
Justinvil works with his sister as a food vendor at the local market in Leveque. He lives with his girlfriend Marita, his three step-sons, Lovens (12), Dalanto (5), and Kendove (4), and his daughter, Darlene (8 months). Marita and Justinvil hope to marry soon, once they have a stable home.
Justinvil fights a daily struggle of not being able to afford housing and worrying about the health and safety of his family.
Justinvil is no stranger to hardship. As a child, he lost one of his eyes due to a devastating infection. Health concerns remain high as he is currently receiving treatment for an infection on his face.
Despite the present hardships, Justinvil is hopeful that the day is approaching when he and his family will have a place to call home. “I believe that day I will be praising the Lord and saying thank you to the Lord, along with everyone else who is working to help us receive this house. This will be a great joy and a great grace for us to receive a home on this day!”
Today is moving day Justinvil and his family! from New Story on Vimeo.
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#2 Rosealva and her family lost their home during the earthquake of 2010...this is their story!
Meet Rosealva and her family
Rosealva and her sister Roseni have stuck together all of their lives. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, they lived together in a thin tarp tent provided by NGOs. Once Roseni had a son (now 4 years old), the hardworking vendors pooled their money together to rent a home near the tent slum.
Now, “the owner of the house is putting us out. We have so many issues finding enough money to pay the rent”. She knows that her eviction means returning to the tent slum – where the lack of sanitation, heat, and vermin causes diseases throughout the community.
They are 2 women who live alone with a young child and fear the dangers of theft, rape, and child abduction they will be vulnerable to.
Funding a home for this family means securing a future of safety and stability. Rosealva tells us “I will be able to build my business and not worry about being homeless”.
Today is moving day Rosealva and his family! from New Story on Vimeo.
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#3 Dieudires and his family lost their home during the earthquake of 2010...this is their story!
Meet Dieudires and family
Dieudires and his wife Joseline are the proud parents of 6 children, ages 5 – 19. He works hard making sandals that Joseline sells in the market. They make a priority with their meager earnings to send their children to school.
When a massive earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, “the house we were renting was destroyed”, Dieudires shares. His family was living on the streets in Cabaret when an NGO offered them a tarp tent in the nearby town of Leveque.
When they lived in the tent, “my family kept getting sick and my children had Cholera”. The lack of sanitation, sparse protection of plastic walls, and heat make this tent slum a hotbed of disease. This family rented a home, but could not afford it and are now bouncing back and forth between homes – likely to return to the life-threatening tent.
“This is a big thing. I will be so happy”, he tells us. For this family, a home is much more than just shelter. They will be protected from illness and have the foundation for a prosperous future.
Today is moving day for Dieudires and his family! from New Story on Vimeo.
Find your dream home and help build one for a family in need. Contact Patricia Marquis for real estate needs in the Aspen, CO area.
To donate and help build a home for a family in need, please click here.100% of your contribution will go directly towards building homes.