New Haven Independent

They got the new house Saturday during a ceremony in the Hill celebrating its construction. The house was built by volunteers as part of a joint project among Habitat for Humanity, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Youth Continuum. Together they formed the “Skills for Life Project.”

Morales (at left in phone with daughter Diamond) has come a long way since they lived in a 1979 Toyota Corona 10 years ago.

She walked the short brick path leading up to their modest modest blue house with white trimming Saturday. Everythingwas brand new, inside and out — stone countertops and wood flooring. Morales was asked which is her favorite room.

“Oh Gosh, I love the kitchen,” said the soft-spoken Morales, giggling. “But I love the living room. I love it all, I don’t know.”

Skills For Life “is intended to give disadvantaged kids who are part of Youth Continuum’s program an opportunity to learn job skills, construction skills, life skills,” said Jennifer Rook, director of development and volunteer services at Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven.

Fifteen participants in the Skills for Life project worked on Morales’s house. Felix Cruz, 19-year-old member of Youth Continuum, was one of them. He said he’s glad he got involved because even though he was helping someone else, he was able to benefit, too.

“Basically all I did was just nail,” Cruz (pictured) said modestly. He said he met a lot of people and learned how to “help someone who’s in need” by coming to the site for eight hours every Saturday since February.

Rook said she saw a change in the participants.

“We saw people’s attitudes transform. We saw people learning how to accept criticism for the first time from a supervisor. We saw self-esteem being boosted, self- confidence,” she said. “And they learned how to build a house from start to finish.”

Morales’ house was tthe 66th home dedicated by the New Haven Habitat for Humanity chapter. A large crowd of friends, family and new neighbors came out for the ceremony Saturday morning.

Morales’s pastor, Joel Diaz (pictured) from the Dios Admirable church in New Haven, was there with a Bible for her and to bless her new home.

Morales was required to put in at least 400 hours of “sweat equity.” Morales said she put in over 500. Her daughters put in some work as well.

Morales’ three daughters, Crystal, 16, and twins Diamond and Jewel, 14, said they’re excited to move in. Crystal said she likes that the house is new; she said it feels good that she worked on it.

“I painted, put up siding, picked up trash, hammered,” said the shy teenager, smiling.

She said her sisters helped, performing basically the same tasks she did. Jewel said she did some caulking and window cleaning.

The twins (pictured below) said they want to be doctors when they grow up; Jewel said she’ll be an evangelist. Morales said getting this house will help them focus on their dreams.

“Emotionally it will stabilize them from the past,” said Morales. “It will let them know that there is something out there. They don’t have to go to the streets to find it.”