Segarra Family Presented New Home

(Newburgh) - Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh and the Hudson Valley Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans dedicated 58 Henry Avenue to the Segarra family on Saturday. This special event celebrated the culimination of Habitat’s year-long partnership with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the participating Lutheran congregations of the Hudson Valley. It also celbrates the hard-work and love that so many dedicated volunteers have demonstrated over the last six months.The Segarra family has lived in a small two-bedroom apartment for over five years. Cracked ceilings and leaking faucets creat problems with mold and mildew and “the children all suffer from congested coughs that never seem to go away,” Virgen explains. Drafty doors, mice and an unsafe neighborhood are only some to the items on the long list of problems with the apartment.Virgen, a bilingual typist for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, works full-time and is a dedicated mother. When Virgen received the call that she had been selected, she literally cried with joy and immediately began working on her sweat equity.Homebuyer, Virgen Segarra, and her children (Daniel, 13, Noel, 6, and Isabel, 1) are more than a little eager to move into their new home. “I feel that being selected for a home is such a blessing,” explains virgen. With help from family, friends, and co-workers, and in less than six months, Virgen has exceeded the required 250 hours of “sweat equity” into this house and those of other families in the Habitat program. Segarra plans to continue volunteering after she purchases the home and hopes to get her children more involved as they grow up.The new home, located at 58 Henry ave., is a result of the recent alliance between Habitat for Humanity Inter- national and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, the alliance is a four-year, $105 million commitment by Thrivent Fiancial that includes plans to construct up to an additional 500 homes across the country each year, to engage 500,000 volunteers in Habitat for Humanity builds, to promote short-term volunteer home-building trips abroad, to provide large grant to measurably improve substandard housing in specific neighborhoods, and to supplement gifts from Thrivent Financial’s nearly three million members to habitat for Humanity International.Upon meeting Segarra, Joel Slesak, Lutheran Community Service Specialist for Thrivent Builds said, “I know Virgen is touched by all of the volunteer help, and the quality of the house that she will soon receive.”
Pictured Above: Virgen Segarra, holding her daugter Isabel, with son Daniel by her side and Noel in front, stand in front of the Christmas tree in the living room of their new home.