Habitat home dedicated at south edge of city
ELKHART — A lot changed between the groundbreaking on Jackie Cervantes’s Elkhart home and the day she got her keys Tuesday.
Freezing cold in January gave way to temperatures in the 80s by the time her family and friends gathered in her Kelsey Avenue home. And the family portrait she received along with the keys was a little out of date, since it contained only her son and one daughter.
Cervantes was holding new daughter Dalary during the handoff from Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County. The girl joined her, son Jessie and daughter Ilean close to eight months ago.
“Most of the people here know that Jackie was halfway through this program and her little bundle of joy came along, this beautiful little girl with the chubby cheeks right there. And it did not slow her down,” said Jennifer King, family services director. “She will probably go down in history as one of our hardest-working families ever.”
Cervantes said it feels great to finally stand inside the finished home. She was accepted into the program in the fall of 2022 and chose a lot in the Dunlap-area neighborhood near her uncle and next to another Habitat homeowner.
“Since the beginning, I was here working on it with the construction crew and the volunteers as well,” Cervantes said. “We live right now over there on Nappanee Street, so it’s going to be a big change for us. So it’s going to be like a new start, but I feel like it’s going to be a good new start.”
Her home is the fourth one dedicated by Habitat this year. Another four builds are underway along with one full rehab, according to Habitat of Elkhart President Greg Conrad.
“We’re on schedule to build 10-plus houses,” added Kristin Hall, Habitat development director.
