TAMPA – Maria De Lourdes Perrotta realized her longtime dream of stability and independence thanks to the support of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida LLC
Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough hosted a dedication ceremony Aug. 20 to celebrate Maria and her son, Matias, receiving the keys to their new Tampa home.
“The dream: To have an affordable house,” said Maria, joined by family, community partners and volunteers who helped build her new home.
A key financial supporter of the Perrotta home is Coke Florida, a family-owned business serving Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami and Orlando. Coke Florida employees volunteered more than 200 hours to help build the new house.
“As we celebrated our company’s 10-year anniversary at the end of May, Coke Florida is proud to also celebrate our long-standing relationships with community partners, such as Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Hillsborough,” said Percy L. Wells II, group vice president, government relations, public affairs and communications for Coke Florida. “We are proud to provide financial support, create economic empowerment opportunities for new homeowners and encourage our associates to support these impactful initiatives.”
Maria’s struggle to find affordable housing is one familiar to millions of Americans.
Working as a housekeeper, she spent years renting apartments that were often plagued by mold, noise and ongoing rent hikes.
“Home is where I feel secure, with peace and love,” Maria said. “Having our home means we are finally in a stable place.”
New homeowners like Maria put in hundreds of hours helping build Habitat houses, assisting at Habitat events and working in the Habitat ReStore home improvement store. They pay an affordable mortgage that never exceeds 30% of their income.
Habitat affiliates stay busy
- Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside was scheduled Aug. 22 to celebrate the dedication of its 1,000th home during its 40th anniversary year. A single mom working as a certified nursing assistant is the recipient of the new home located in Lealman.
- Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco is registering teams for its Women Build: Rock the Block event on Oct. 24 in Dade City. The event dispatches teams of 10 to do things like landscaping, light construction, painting and working on beautification projects in the community.
