Antonio and his wife Maria finally have a home...a permanent one. Antonio had been in the US for three years, struggling to find work there, but lack of papers proved to be a daunting roadblock. Finally he was able to find a little work and send money home to his family in Mexico, and they were able to buy their small piece of land in Ejido de Tirado.

After almost 20 years of constantly moving, living with relatives, or in a room with rent they could barely afford, they were running out of options.

They decided they would move onto their little lot and build a "casa de carton" - a house of cardboard. For over a year they lived in a shelter of paper boxes, with a tin roof they were able to buy.

Then one day a volunteer with Casita Linda came to them and told Gloria, their oldest daughter, that they had been chosen for a house. Maria kept asking her daughter, "Tell me more? Is it true? What else did he say? When will they start?"

Less than three months later they moved into their new home. "We couldn't believe it. We couldn't believe we would get a house! We were so excited, " Maria exclaimed.

They inaugurated their home and moved in on the day their son Ricoardo had his first communion. The Casita Linda volunteers and workers joined the family in celebration.

Antonio and Maria have four children, and their daughter has two. The eight now live in their new adobe home, well protected from the outside elements. All their children are in school. This home has brought greater stability for the family, no longer worrying about where they will live next.