NPOY Portfolio First Place - Rob Finch
"From Hell to Home"

Living in one of Aurora's most violent and impoverished neighborhoods, the Losaya family longs to get out of their second-floor apartment at 411 View St.

 

View Street is one of the poorest and rundown areas in Aurora, Illinois. The city is trying to evict the Losaya family from their second floor apartment at 411 View St. because of both overcrowding and sanitary violations. Sheila and Pedro have tried to fight the city in court, claiming that the landlord is responsible for the squalor. They have gotten nowhere, and the day of eviction is quickly approaching. As the Losoyas search for a new home, the five children wait without hope, unsure of what their future may hold. After weeks of searching, Pedro receives a gift from his father, and the family can afford to move out of their apartment and into a new place. One day before the scheduled eviction, the family is finally able to move into their dream: a house of their own. The children bound into the new house and quickly remove their shoes to feel the carpet between their toes. They then roll around on the floor, soaking up the reality of the family's achievement.