They’ll be home for Christmas
By Brandy Nance
Originally published 01:35 p.m., December 17, 2007
Updated 01:35 p.m., December 17, 2007
Patricia Baray and her five sons got an early Christmas gift this year — their own home.
The three-bedroom home, in the 100 block of Market Street, was packed Sunday afternoon for a home blessing by the Rev. Darren Henson, priest at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and the home’s dedication. The home is the 13th house constructed by Emporia Habitat for Humanity.
Baray and her sons, Elian and Enrique Baray, 7; Alejandro Jimenez, 13; Jose Ramirez, 19; and Jeremy Ramirez, 21, moved into the home in mid-November. The home was decorated for Christmas with a large tree that Baray’s father gave her. The tree had lots of presents underneath it.
An hour before Sunday afternoon’s dedication, Baray was busy putting the final touches on her home to welcome guests.
“I love it,” she said, as she went into the kitchen. “I love it that we have a dishwasher. I’ve never had a dishwasher. It’s like my dream come true when I got this house.”
Baray said the home was started in February. Her family helped build it.
“We painted,” She said. “We had to do a lot of work to the house.”
It hasn’t been an easy journey for the Baray household. In September, Patricia Baray had a hysterectomy. Because of complications from the original surgery she had to have multiple surgeries after that.
“I was in the ICU and everything,” she said, adding that doctors weren’t sure she was going to make it.
On Sunday, Baray seemed to be doing well as she bustled around the home cleaning and talking with her kids. She said the home has been a real blessing. She got her first electric bill and it was only $50.
Her new home, with its low heating and electric bills, is a far cry from the old house the family previously was living in.
“It had no heat,” Baray said. “I like that house. We lived there for nearly three years, but it had no heat. We lived there for over a year with no heat.”
Baray said that house was a rental and the family used space heaters to keep warm.
But now, they are in their new home — this home has heat, Baray said with a smile. And Baray owns the home.
“That’s a surprise,” she said. “I actually own a home. I don’t have people coming to me and saying ‘I want this. I want that.’ Plus it’s a new home. Everything is new. What more can I ask?”
The home is truly a Christmas gift for the family, Baray said.
“That’s what I wanted for my boys,” she said. “They’ll have something after I’m no longer here. It’ll be theirs.”
create (anonymous) says...
"We lived there for over a year with no heat.”
I'd like to know who owned that house. Who is the landlord that was renting it out with no heat???!!!
This is an abomination and is EXACTLY the reason why we need another look at the city's landlord/tenant code. Was this landlord one of those who showed up at the meeting at Grace United to protest ???
Patty Gilligan and board -- Now that you know about this house that had no heat, what do you plan to do???
City of Emporia -- Are you just going to let this go???
December 18, 2007 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )