Our plans fell apart with the convergence of temporary Covid quarantines of several of our families and harvest season that left us short-handed on a number of weekends. Tragically, it was fire season that began in August that was the final blow.
We’re a much more practiced group now, and we’re working as a team. We’re able to anticipate the next move, so there’s much less wasted time. Much more efficient, we’re spread out across the eight-unit complex, working on different jobs
Eric Martinez left his small hometown in Guanajuato Mexico in 1995 and moved to the US. He was just 20 years old, and it meant leaving his friends and family and moving to another country. He didn’t speak a word of English, but he would be joining some relatives who Read more…
Ramona Gibbs and her six-year-old daughter, Iliana, moved into OTSH’s Pope St. property in time to celebrate Christmas in their new home. After living in a studio apartment for four years, Ramona and her daughter were delighted to be putting up their Christmas decorations in this 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house. When Read more…
Our Brenkle Court construction crew is learning on the job, becoming more comfortable with each new skill they master. Each construction lesson marks a milestone. The photo to the left captures the crew’s progress building walls. It illustrates four stages of wall construction. They lay out the 2×4’s in the Read more…
Last weekend, Brenkle Court homeowners reviewed basic carpenter skills and safety precautions. One woman confessed to a few sleepless nights worrying about what she’d gotten herself into when it took her two minutes of concentrated effort just to pound in one nail. Yet our crew gathered on another sunny but Read more…
Anai Ortiz: Born and raised in St. Helena Meet Anai Ortiz, homebuilder and native Californian. Anai’s grandparents immigrated to San Diego from Mexico as part of the Bracero program that dates back to WWII. There were farm-labor shortages caused by America’s entry into the war. The Bracero Program brought Mexican workers to Read more…
Construction began on July 13. For the next 18 months, our eight families and their teams will be working every Friday and Saturday at Brenkle Court. A few of our homeowners are single moms. One mother will be joined by her sons every weekend; another mother is relying on her Read more…