ARIZONA HEART & SOL: Tucson housing counselor helps others get back on their feet

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Housing is often the first step to success in life. For many, it can unfortunately be one of the hardest things to get. This week’s Arizona’s Heart and Sol recipient is a housing counselor in Tucson.

When Araceli Jimenez steps into her home office, it’s a home she’s looking for others. When she moved to the U.S., she found it difficult to understand credit and how the U.S. housing system works. She saw an opportunity to help people.

“When I moved into my first home, I said I can help people, I can help my community,” said Jimenez. “It doesn’t matter what race you are, the need is still out there.”

She has helped hundreds of people get back on their feet and get a roof over their heads. From an elderly woman getting out of a domestic violence situation, to a family struggling after a work accident.

“I’ll always remember this couple. He almost died. He was in tears and depressed, but thank God we helped them save their home,” she said.

Helping others is in her nature. It’s something her mother Olga Canizales passed down to her. A struggling single mom, Canizales relied on help from others and always helped others in return. Seeing her daughter do the same is one of her greatest prides.

The tables turned when Jimenez’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer this year for the second time and battled with COVID-19. Jimenez helped her mom through another mastectomy.

“This is really hard for us because we went through all of this when she had cancer 16 years ago,” she said.

For her, helping goes much farther than just her work, it is the entire community, and her own, she extends a hand to.

If you have someone you would like to nominate for Arizona’s Heart and Sol, please nominate them here.

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