Vicki Hatfield (inside door on left) observes as the Mena Family poses for a picture for Greater Nshua Habitat for Humanity. Photo by Marie A. Matthews.

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The Mena Family was one of the first two families selected to partner with Habitat for Humanity in the construction of a home after the organization of the Nashua affiliate

Nashua - When the Mena Family first found out about Habitat for Humanity’s 0% Interest Mortgage they were a bit skeptical: Elizabeth Mena says that Habitat for Humanity seemed like “an unbelievable blessing.”  She remembers having many doubts.  “When we met the Habitat for Humanity team everything sounded so great…”  Elizabeth laughs as she looks back: “as typical Colombians, we felt it was too good to be true!”

The Mena Family celebrated the 10^th anniversary of their partnership with Habitat for Humanity this past March.  They are now half-way through a mortgage that helped finance the home they built together with other Habitat for Humanity volunteers. 

Habitat for Humanity has had a Nashua affiliate since December 1, 1994 and it initially focused on small projects such as home repairs.  The Menas were among the first two Nashua families to build an entire home with Habitat for Humanity; the two families shared a duplex on Tolles Street.  

Vicki Hatfield, a member of Habitat’s Family Selection Committee remembers how the Mena’s were chosen among a pool of applicants. “The Tolles Street project was our first. We had three qualified applicants for two homes. The Menas were our absolute first choice.  When we were selecting families they were living with other family members and their two daughters had a closet as their bedroom.”  Vicki feels that the Mena family has been a successful partner with Habitat for a number of reasons: “They were very enthusiastic; both adults, along with their 15 year old son, were at the job site almost every weekend. Prior to applying for a Habitat home they had been trying to buy a house at auction on Tolles Street. They were outbid at the auction.”  (more…)

The Mena Family in front of their Tolles Street property in Nashua. Photo by Marie Matthews.

More than ten years ago the Mena family was searching for a home in the French Hill area of Nashua when they found out about Habitat for Humanity.  “There was an auction for a house on Tolles Street and they bid on the house but it didn’t work out.”  That’s when Nancy Metsiou, a Mena family cousin, found out about Habitat for Humanity through the newspaper.  “Habitat turned out to be a much better proposition,” explains Family Selection Committee member Vicki Hatfield.

Elizabeth Mena says that Habitat for Humanity seemed like such an unbelievable blessing: she and her husband Luis Mena felt the house they were bidding on was not meant to be and that God knew of a better plan for them… but they had their reservations.  “We had a lot of doubts – when we met the Habitat for Humanity team everything sounded so great”.  Elizabeth laughs when she looks back: “as typical Colombians, we felt it was too good to be true!” (more…)