Farmers Business Insurance came out Saturday, August 17, 2013 to frame houses at the 12-home Sylmar Habitat for Heroes site.
Farmers Business Insurance believes strongly in supporting our veterans and the local community. On Saturday, they showed their support by framing two homes for deserving low-income veterans in Sylmar.
One of the future homeowners is Jose Castillo. Castillo has been in the United States Marine Corps since 2006. He served two deployments including one in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009.
Growing up, he lived with his mother, grandmother and older sister. He never experienced having a bedroom to all to himself.
“I always wondered what it would be like to live in a house instead of an apartment,” said Castillo.
For veterans like Jose, returning home from service is difficult in the current economy. He currently lives with his mother and his son in a junior one-bedroom apartment.
Castillo spent most of 2012 applying for home loans through the V.A. At the end of the year, there was no outcome, so he gave up. Then he heard about the housing program through Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV in collaboration with the California Department of Veterans Affairs, and applied, and finally qualified.
Castillo cannot wait for his family to start a life in his new home.
“As an adult, my goal is to own my own home and for my son to be able to experience having his own bedroom where he can be as messy as he wants,” said Castillo. “At the end of the day, I want to be able to say to my son those famous words: clean up your room.”
Farmers Business Insurance has made this dream a reality for the Castillo Family.