When Melissa Mendez came to Sanibel Island for work, she discovered a dream she never knew she had.
“This is such a close-knit community. Everyone knows each other. Everyone watches out for each other. It’s not just a place, it’s a family. It’s everything I ever wanted for my kids,” she said, emphasizing the strong sense of community she found in Sanibel Island.
Living that dream, however, wasn’t easy. The Miami native worked as a nail technician for 15 years when her marriage ended, leaving her a single mom with two children. Living in Cape Coral, Mendez soon landed a job with a rental property management firm in Sanibel. That left her with the almost impossible daily task of getting her kids to separate schools in Cape Coral and making it to work on the island by 8 a.m.
That’s when her employer suggested she approach Community Housing & Resources for affordable housing. “I believe things happen for a reason,” said Mendez. “It’s a blessing I got referred. The process was long, but it was easy to do. CHR kept updating me all through that process.”
Today, Mendez works at Sanibel Captiva Community Bank. Since last August, she’s been a resident at CHR’s Airport Way property.
“The CHR staff is amazing. Anything I need, any problem I might have, they’re always right on it, no matter how busy they are,” she said.
“Sanibel is a great community with a great school system,” Mendez added. “I was telling the father of my kids that I can’t picture them returning to their old schools.”
Mendez is quick to encourage others to contact CHR. “I tell them to hurry up and get on it!” she said.
As for her life today? “I’m living the dream I didn’t know I had.”
Community Housing & Resources provides safe, quality, affordable housing for families and individuals who work in and serve our island communities. Learn more at sancapchr.org.
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