Building Belonging
MANNY & ANIFA’S STORY OF NEIGHBORING WELL
Some people think of housing as just a roof and four walls. But for Manny Garcia and Anifa Benjamin, home has come to mean something much deeper: belonging, friendship and mutual care. Their paths crossed through the work of Good Neighbors Housing, transforming not only a vacant two-family unit, but also the definition of what it means to be a neighbor.
Manny worked on construction projects for most of his life alongside his grandfather, father and uncles. After a short season as a truck driver, he returned to what he knew best. At age 20, he launched his own company.
Three years ago, Manny met Josh Miller, Housing Manager at Good Neighbors Housing and Pastor of Cove City Church in downtown Cleveland, while walking past a renovation project. “I just walked up to Josh and said, ‘Hey man, I’ve been doing this a while. Do you need an extra hand with your work?’” Josh called him a week later, and they’ve been renovating properties together ever since.
One housing project in particular caught Manny’s eye. It was a BHITC property. “I walked in and said, ‘I want this one,’” he remembers. “I always do a good job with my work, but I felt myself putting extra care into this unit, knowing my family could live there. My kids are my motivation—I want to give them the best.” When Manny began renovations, Anifa, who lives in the home’s other unit, welcomed him. She offered water and fruit during long workdays. “She was a good neighbor before I even moved in,” Manny says.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Anifa arrived in Cleveland in 2011 as a refugee. She found support through The Hope Center. “I took citizenship classes at The Hope Center. They helped me adjust to life in Ohio,” she says. Anifa celebrated her Naturalization Oath Ceremony with The Hope Center team in 2019, and in late 2020, she signed a lease with Good Neighbors Housing. “I enjoy living here. This is my home. I have good neighbors all around me.”
Even though English is not Anifa’s first language, the two quickly found common ground when Manny’s family moved in. They built a garden together in the backyard so Anifa could grow pumpkins and beans. Manny helps keep the yard clean and supports Anifa with errands when he can. “We might not always speak the same language, but hand gestures help us understand each other,” he says.
Today, Manny continues working with Josh, not only repairing homes but also building a lasting friendship. “Josh was there for me at my most vulnerable point,” Manny says, recalling a memorable moment on the job. “I was chiseling a piece of wood and doing it wrong. See this scar?” he says, pointing to his forehead with a laugh. “The chisel nailed me right here. Josh had to pull it out. He’s a great guy.”
Manny and Anifa continue to invest in their unexpected friendship. “In this house, it’s not grand gestures that make it feel like home. It’s the steady presence of a neighbor who shows up again and again.” “I treat others the way I want to be treated,” Manny says. “That’s what being a good neighbor means.”
