The Carrillo Family Experience A Brush with Kindness

Jose Carrillo and his wife Leticia bought their home on the East Side of St. Paul in 2001, where they are raising their three young children. The family loves their St. Paul community; they celebrate every Cinco de Mayo, 4^th of July, and Halloween with all of their neighbors.

Leticia is a stay-at-home mom and Jose earns a living through various seasonal positions. With the instability that can come from seasonal employment, the family did not have the resources to replace their roof when it began to leak, causing additional damage to the interior of the home. Jose’s neighbors told him about the A Brush with Kindness program through Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Jose applied for the program and was extremely happy when he found out that his family had been accepted.

The Carrillo’s worked alongside A Brush with Kindness staff members and volunteers to repair the drywall that had been damaged from the leaking roof. A Brush with Kindness was also able to use grant money to hire a contractor to replace the roof. Jose and his wife were very impressed with the work of the volunteers and were inspired to volunteer with the program in the future. With the stress of the damaged roof gone, the Carrillo’s can focus on their family; Jose expects all of his children to go to college and hopes to save enough money to help them get there.