When Candace Cabrera found them, the couple’s options were limited.
They had permission to reside in the United States through a work visa path to citizenship, but without a credit score, they struggled to find a place to live. Without a permanent address, they couldn’t get a driver’s license. And without a driver’s license, they couldn’t buy or lease a car. So they got an expensive short-term rental car and kept searching for housing.
Even with legal permission to be here, starting a new life in the U.S. isn’t easy.
After many rejections, they found Cabrera’s house. It was quite small, but it could work. With only a few belongings in tow from their home country, they didn’t need a lot of space. They worried about being rejected again, but they had to try.
Cabrera had moved out of the small house but loved it still. She didn’t want to sell it just yet, so it sat empty for a while as she tried to rent it.
With no real comps in the area to judge a good asking price and very small square footage, she found it hard to attract any renters – until the international couple came into the picture.
They needed a place to live, and Cabrera needed renters.
Cabrera warned them the place was tiny, and they revealed to her that they had no credit score to show they were a good risk. Neither wanted to waste the other’s time if it wasn’t going to work out.
The couple was transparent about their situation, though, and offered bank statements, letters of employment, their permanent residency card, and personal references – anything Cabrera needed – to demonstrate they were serious.
She lowered her asking price and they signed a lease.
As Cabrera learned more about their story, she felt moved to help the couple not only secure a place to live but also make them feel at home there. She’d lived abroad at least three different times in her life and understood how it felt to be an outsider in a new place far from home.
She had an idea.
As a yoga instructor and wellness coach with a social media platform, she posted a video asking her followers to chime in: was it too weird to give this couple a lease signing or move-in gift to help them get started? They needed so much. What would make the most sense to include?
Thousands of people responded with encouragement and ideas.
At lease signing, Cabrera gave her new renters a colander full of inexpensive but useful kitchen goodies. On move-in day, she passed along other essentials like toilet paper and a shower curtain, along with a reference guide she made listing police and emergency numbers, the nearest hospital, trash pickup day, and local transportation options.
No matter where they came from or what their journey looked like, she hoped they felt welcome in the house she loved. She did what she could do to make that happen – and give this couple a chance where others had not.
Cabrera’s advice for those coming to live in the U.S.? “Embrace that small talk and that chatter because it’s nice to know your neighbors.”
Wise words for the rest of us as well.
As we celebrate National Good Neighbor Day this week, it’s a good time to ask yourself: how well do you know your neighbors? What small thing could you do to make a new, or stronger, connection with them or help make their lives better?
Here are some ideas:
- Offer to help with a task or errand (bring in groceries or mail, replace a light bulb or do a household task for an elderly or overworked neighbor).
- Write a note or email expressing gratitude for a nice thing they do or encouragement for something they’re going through.
- Bake your favorite family recipe to share.
- Host a driveway or porch chat to get people together over coffee.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time to connect with your neighbors. It might feel a little awkward at first if you’ve all been living in your own bubbles. But the payoff for taking that first step is huge.
Building connections with those around you reverses loneliness and makes everyone feel a part of something bigger. Neighbors who know each other benefit from a greater sense of safety and security. They help each other when times get tough. And if you’re willing to make the effort, you just might form friendships that last for years to come.
It’s time to bake that cake and walk it across the street.
You matter. Please share this post with people in your life who need to hear they matter, too!
