“It takes a village to raise a child.” This is the era many of us were raised in. It is the basic principal that we leave no one behind in this collective idea that is America. As I’ve learned this first year building Marlin@Large and producing our latest film, it definitely takes a village to achieve the American Dream. Whether that dream be attending college, owning a own home, or starting your own business, it takes hard work, financial planning, humor, grit, sacrifice, humility, and a strong community of friends, family, and the alchemy of unforeseen forces behind you.
Keila Santel had all the above, and in this case she had the will of a major bank, a national non-profit and advocacy organization with the goal of doing the right thing, on her side. She had the wisdom of her mother before her and the promise of her daughters’ future propelling her. As many in her circumstance, and with the support of her husband Lorenzo, she was responsible for children approaching college and a parent with medical needs depending on her to find a safe and stable home to fit a multi-generational family.
Following the mortgage crisis, I watched as Hala Farid, Director of Citi’s Homeownership Preservation unit worked tirelessly to execute a first-of-its-kind note sale that would stabilize hardest hit communities and keep families in their homes. A daughter of an Egyptian immigrant father who came to America with the dream of owning their own home because he believed, “owning a piece of America was being a full American.” A mother herself, preparing to put her child through college, Hala and her team hoped they could make a sustainable difference. Her father may not have owned a piece of America, but others would because of the values he instilled in her.
In getting to know Marcos Morales and Lot Diaz, Directors of Hogar Hispano Inc. and the National Council of La Raza, I came to find they were both two of the most generous men in their fields. Coincidentally, they too came from challenging housing situations as children, which fueled their shared passion to create opportunities for low and middle income Latino families. These three change-makers in their respective organizations came together to find a solution to a problem that gave Keila, her family, and hundreds like them, the second chance they deserved. It is my hope, that more financial institutions, non-profits, and private capital investors see the value in this model they’ve created and partner together to give more neighborhoods on the fringe the reinvestment it needs to thrive.
Throughout her interview, Keila’s resolve remained proud and steadfast but when asked about her youngest daughter she couldn’t help but break and let her guard down, which honestly broke the entire cast and crew. “The little one helps so much, giving medicine to her grandmother, always making her smile. It hasn’t been easy, but we’re a team, we do it together.”
At a time in our political climate that’s calling into question whether people of all races, religions, sexes, and orientations deserve equal access to the basic rights and opportunities that should be afforded to every American or those seeking to be citizens, let Keila’s story be a beacon of hope.
I am grateful M@L was invited to tell this story. We were inspired by and learned some essential lessons that has shaped the direction for the future of our work, and we hope you’ll be a part of our journey. Of all the lessons we learned on this shoot, we were reminded of the simple truth that we’re all the same. We all have the same dreams for our families, friends and communities; and that if we do it together, that’s the America that’s great, still. The America Hala’s father believed in.