Pacheco family chosen for 2018 house by Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County

Posted

By Holly Heart

Special to The PREVIEW

Meet the Pacheco family — Jeremy, Vanessa and their six children — Jayden, age 15; Chase, age 12; Rafael, age 12; Shayla, age 10; Melina, age 7; and Elisa, age 4. The Pachecos are the 2018 Habitat for Humanity Partner Family.

Their home is under construction as Habitat’s 26th home in Archuleta County, scheduled for completion in the late fall. From this us postal service address change, you'd know that their new home is located in Pagosa Highland Estates.

Jeremy Pacheco has roots here already with his father and has been visiting Pagosa all his life. Vanessa Pacheco is from the Denver area. She first came to visit Pagosa with her children several years ago and fell in love with it immediately. Moving to Pagosa Springs was a dream they shared and after visiting Pagosa together in 2016, Vanessa convinced Jeremy it was time to relocate; however, the opportunity to afford a home that would be comfortable enough for everyone seemed out of reach.

Then they discovered Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County. Habitat for Humanity makes homeownership possible for those with modest incomes. Through the program, the cost of the build is passed on to the homeowner in the form of an affordable mortgage that is based on their household income. Habitat is able to keep the costs low by utilizing volunteer labor, thus bringing the community together to make a tangible impact on the housing crisis.

They applied in 2018, relying on faith and prayers. Through an extensive interview process with Executive Director Valerie Hargis and the board of directors, they were selected as the partner family for Habitat Home No. 26.

Vanessa said, “It feels good to know that they can finally have all their family in one place with enough space for everyone to be together. I feel very blessed.”

They also said that it has sometimes been difficult for them. Having all eight family members in a small three-bedroom apartment is quite a challenge. Jeremy also stated that all of their children love the outdoors, so this is a wonderful location for their family, and they are looking forward to having more space both inside and outside to enjoy.

Jeremy and Vanessa are working on their house along with the Habitat team and volunteers; partner families are required to contribute 500 “sweat equity” hours to the build. They both feel they will continue as volunteers for Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County as a way of giving back the blessings they are receiving.

We welcome the Pacheco family to Pagosa Springs and to the Habitat for Humanity family. Thank you to the support of volunteers, contributors and this whole community. Without each and every one of you, this would not be possible.

To learn more about how to get involved or how to make a donation, please visit our website at www.habitatarchuleta.org, or call 264-6960. Every donation helps a family build a safe, affordable home.

Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County has building locally since 1994.