Sacramento, CA) Sacramento Habitat for Humanity’s newest homeowners, Chula Yang and Mai Kao Thao, will receive the keys to their new home this Saturday, February 16th, 2013 at 10:00 a.m thanks to a full home sponsorship by JPMorgan Chase.
The Thao/Yang Family came to the United States from Thailand in November of 2004 in hopes for a better quality of life. “In Thailand,” explains Mai Kao, “there is no way to better your life. No way to get work. We moved here to give our children a future.”
Upon coming to the United States the Thao/Yang’s initially settled in Georgia with relatives. Mai Kao recalls, “I felt we must have made a mistake. In Georgia, we found ourselves in more poverty than in Thailand. I thought how can I find a job and support my family if I don’t know the language? It was difficult.”
Upon hearing about the diversity in Sacramento, Chula and Mai Kao took a leap of faith and traveled across the country in hopes of making Sacramento their home. Once in Sacramento, Chula found employment working for a publishing company and Mai Kao began working for Unitron. They currently live in an over-crowded 2-bedroom apartment along with their 3 young children and Chula’s mother Ia Vang.
“We have always wanted to own our own home. In Thailand, you can’t own property. You’re not allowed to – you’re assigned a piece of land and that’s where you live and there’s no way you can change it. The houses have dirt floors and you can see the walls through the outside.”
Unable to afford a home on their own, the Thao/Yang family came to Sacramento Habitat. Chula, Mai Kao, and Ia Vang put 500 hours of sweat equity building their home and will receive a 0% interest mortgage on their new home once they move in.
The Thao/Yang Family’s home was made possible through a full $75,000 home sponsorship by JP Morgan Chase. A full home sponsorship which, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity CEO, Ken Cross is quick to admit, “we don’t see very often, especially these days.”
In addition to sponsoring the build, JP Morgan Chase employees also contributed over 300 hours of volunteer labor helping build the home for the Thao/Yang family. This four-bedroom LEED-certified home exemplifies the creation of energy-efficient affordable housing and is equipped with solar panels, which reduce electric bills by as much as 60%. The home also includes new Energy Star appliances, low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint and carpeting, CFL lighting, and a front yard featuring drought-tolerant landscaping.
About Sacramento Habitat for Humanity
Established in 1985, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity (SHfH) is a 501(c)3 non profit local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. SHfH’s mission is to build decent affordable homes in partnership with families in need, supported locally by volunteers, faith based-organizations, individual donors and corporations for the betterment of our community. www.shfh.org
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The Home Dedication Ceremony will be held at 3833 36th Street and is open to the public. All interested in attending are welcome to come.
If you or someone you know is interested in homeownership through Sacramento Habitat- one-hour orientations are held at the SHFH offices on the 3rd Monday or 1st Saturday of every month. Visit http://www.shfh.org/doc.asp?id=93 for more information.
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