SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

May 7, 2006

A model home for low-income families

After 30 years of hard labor as a farm worker in DeSoto County, Fidel Arias, 48, can finally provide his wife and six sons with a safe and comfortable home.

Through a partnership with the Outreach Committee of St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota, the Florida West Coast Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, and Catholic Charities Housing, a home was built, furnished and given to the Arias family.

Through the Catholic Charities Housing Counseling program, the home also will serve as a model and will be shown to other low-income families as a viable alternative to unsafe, dilapidated mobile homes and trailers.

After Hurricane Charley wiped out the majority of low-income homes in the Arcadia area, Sister Ann DeNicolo, program director for Catholic Charities of DeSoto County, saw the need for hurricane-resistant, affordable housing in the community.

Unfortunately, the poor are often the target of exploitation because of a lack of experience or education when it comes to home buying, she said. DeNicolo approached the Outreach Committee of St. Thomas More for support.

"Our parish had raised money for hurricane recovery in Arcadia, and we felt this was a great way to put it to good use," said George Forcier, chairman of the outreach committee.

"After a long day's work, everyone deserves a safe place to rest," he said.

The home not only is hurricane-proof, but also is energy-efficient and affordable, according to Brian Bishop, president of Home Front, who built the house. "We hope this home will be an example of a better alternative for housing," he said.

Members of the American Society of Interior Designers called on clients and vendors to donate items to decorate and furnish the home. "Everyone we mentioned the project to was more than willing to help," said Harriet Stephenson, board member of ASID and a member of the St. Thomas More Outreach Committee.

The Eugene H. Turner Family Partnership donated the land for the home.

The Rev. Don Henry, pastor of St. Thomas More, blessed the home during a special ceremony for the Arias family. When handed the keys to the home, Fidel Arias said he had no words to describe how happy he was feeling.

"My heart is full of joy," said Dolores Arias, Fidel's wife. "I am happy that my children will have a nice place to live."

José Arias, 10, said his favorite part of the new home is the bedrooms. Fidel Jr., 14, is happy to have a computer. He will be starting high school next fall and hopes to become a lawyer someday.

Dolores said two other sons, their oldest, will be leaving Arcadia in a few weeks to work in Virginia, New Jersey and Maine picking apples and blueberries. They will return in October. "I am so happy they are here today so we can enjoy this occasion together as a family," she said.

"It was the kind of project that I didn't think was going to be so much work but also didn't think it would be so rewarding," Forcier said. "The smile on Mrs. Arias' face was so overwhelming. She didn't have to say a word; I could tell how grateful she was."

Along with individual donors, many businesses contributed to the creation of the home. They include Manasota Flooring, Cook's Cabinets, Ultracraft Cabinetry, Parksite Distributors, Decorative Surfaces, Sunnyside Retirement Village Foundation, Rugs as Art, Rooms to Go, The Lamplighter Shop, Robb & Stucky, and Sarasota Growers.