LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As too many families in Lake County know, the loss of a home and everything it contains to the ravages of wildfire is a devastating blow.

When Hector and Maria Rodriguez-Barajas lost their home to the Valley fire in 2015, they lost not only shelter for their family and all of their belongings, but also the comfort and security during the holidays that went with having those things.

For the next several years, the family bounced from one apartment to another as their family grew, making it difficult to settle back into the familiarity of routines, family traditions and camaraderie.

Christmas visits with relatives and friends were nice, but with the burden of not being settled into a stable home, the holiday spirit came at a price.

After months of hard work and partnership with Habitat for Humanity Lake County, Hector, Maria and their children are able to celebrate Christmas in a home of their own at last.

The house has been decorated thanks to the generous donations of others and their Christmas tree stands proudly as the cornerstone of the family’s first Christmas in their new home.

Due to the pandemic, they are unable to celebrate the holidays with family, but having a house to call home, where they can celebrate together without the fear of eviction, makes up for it.

“The kids are so excited they can hardly sleep,” Maria Rodriguez-Barajas said. “They are able to decorate inside and outside now, for the first time as a family, and are eager for Christmas to come. Watching my kids play outside for the first time, in a yard they never had before, is the most exciting thing for me since moving into this country. We might not have lots of gifts this year, but for the kids, they say the time with family, and having a home now, makes them grateful.”

Habitat for Humanity Lake County is in urgent need of donations to continue providing homeownership opportunities to qualified families like the Rodriguez-Barajas family.

Donations can be mailed to Habitat for Humanity Lake County, P.O. Box 1830, Lower Lake, CA 95457.

To donate property, please contact the office at 707-994-1100 with the address and APN number and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Tammy Brigham works for Habitat for Humanity Lake County.