Ask any single parent. Juggling work with childcare and household responsibilities can be a hugely difficult task.

And without the help of others, it can be impossible.

Single father Jose Martinez says he learned that lesson the hard way.

He has had custody of his 15-year-old daughter since she was a baby. And for the most part, he tried to go it alone by being a do-it-all dad. Being self-sufficient was part of who he was.

From the time he was a child, Jose has had to work for everything he had. He was born in a small village in southeastern Puerto Rico. At age 8, he moved to the Bronx in New York City with his two siblings and his mother, who raised her kids as a single parent.

After he graduated from high school, Jose held maintenance and mechanic jobs to earn a living.

After his daughter was born and he gained custody, Jose moved to Florida where he found work for a transportation company in Fort Lauderdale.

Even though he was working full-time, it wasn’t easy finding an apartment they could afford, so Jose and his daughter moved around a lot. Then came the pandemic, and Jose lost his job. He eventually ended up being evicted.

“I was homeless,” he said. “We were living in a hotel because we didn’t have any other place to go.”

That’s when Jose made the decision that changed his life. He decided to stop trying to fly solo. He reached out for help.

He dialed 211. It’s a hotline that connects people in need to social service programs. They referred him to Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc., a non-profit that helps homeless families.

Jose and his daughter were able to enter REACH, Adopt-A-Family’s shelter for families. Later, an opportunity for longer term housing came through the NSP2 low-income housing program. That’s where they are living now.

Adopt-A-Family also paired Jose with a job coach who helped him get a higher-paid position. He now works for the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department as a park maintenance worker.

It was Miriam Garcia, NSP2-WILEY program manager at Adopt-A-Family, who suggested Jose apply for a Habitat for Humanity home. She helped him fill out the paperwork. Last summer, he found out his application had been approved.

Jose has gone through Habitat’s homeowner education program and is working through the other requirements. He’s now on track to purchase a 2-bedroom, 2-bath home in Lake Worth Beach this coming spring.

“Oh, man, I’m blessed,” he said, the passion rising in his voice. “It’s something that just makes me feel joy. I’m truly blessed.”

Non-profits like Habitat for Humanity and Adopt-A-Family often deal with single mothers, but single fathers like Jose are a rarity.

When Habit recently opened its homeownership program to new applicants, more than 170 people applied. Of those, 11 met the qualifications for purchasing a Habitat home. Not one of them was a single father. All were single mothers.

It can be hard for single dads like Jose to accept help even when they are in dire need, Miriam said. “It’s part of the culture that fathers should be able to provide,” she said. “Pride can stop men from seeking help.”

With Jose, “hard work has never been the problem. That’s not an issue at all with him,” Miriam said. “He had to see that he could get support and not be judged.”

Jose admits it was difficult to reach out for the assistance that has turned his life around.

“I was a guy that always had to do things myself,” he said. “Being a single dad is hard, but I ran into good people who made me understand that they are there to help. I had to open myself up to them to let them help me and my daughter.

“I had to embrace that help.

“I learned that lesson the hard way.”

Jose’s journey from homelessness to homeownership is a great example of two nonprofits working together to make a brighter future possible for a hardworking family.

Adopt-A-Family dealt with the immediate crisis. They made sure Jose and his daughter did not have to live on the street. Once Jose’s housing and job situation was stabilized, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County stepped in to help Jose make his dream of homeownership come true.

“It’s a testament to the fact that when the community comes together to help, then people are able to do better for themselves,” Miriam said.

Habitat’s director of homeowner services Brad Hertzberg recalls that after Jose’s homeownership was approved, the two non-profits decided to team up to surprise him with the news.

“We told Jose to come to the Adopt-A-Family office under the guise of telling him that the board of directors wants to interview you one more time,” Brad said. “And we asked him to bring his daughter.

“So he thought it was just another meeting. But when he opened the door, there was a big, wonderful surprise for him. We told him he was selected to be a future Habitat homeowner.”

Jose recalls, “It was a great day. My daughter and I were so happy.”

Jose’s daughter is already anticipating using her creative talents on the new house. “She is really into art, and I told her that when they put up the fence she can paint it with her designs,” he said. As a teenage girl, it’s also no surprise that she’s happy about the prospect of not having to share a bathroom.

As for Jose, he’s looking forward to barbecuing in his backyard. “They don’t allow grills at the shelter,” he said. “I love to barbecue. I can’t wait.”

To find out more about how to apply for Habitat homeownership, CLICK HERE.

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Written by Steve Plamann, a dedicated Habitat for Humanity volunteer.