“As teenagers, we never thought we’d be where we are at now,” shares Elia.
Elia, now age 26, was born in Greeley, Colorado, after her parents had moved there from Mexico. Elia recalls Greeley being a mostly Spanish-speaking community. When her family moved to Kent in 2002, it was quite a change for them. “We moved here with nothing and the area was not as diverse as it is now,” shares Elia, “It was hard financially and emotionally.”
Elia’s family eventually moved to Federal Way. “I remember standing in line out at the food bank here,” she says. “We used to get bulk pinto beans, eggs, and plain corn flakes from the store, and the food bank added variety to the household food we could afford.”
Not only did the food bank provide nourishment, it also provided a sense of community. “When we came here, we would see all different types of people and it helped us form connections in the community,” shares Elia.
“And the snacks were the best,” Elia says. “The crackers with the cheese in between made standing in line as a kid worth it.”
Those extra snacks meant a lot to both Elia and Tony. “We couldn’t get stuff like that at the store. We didn’t even ask, we just knew we couldn’t have it,” shares Tony.
Tony, age 32, moved to Lakeside, Arizona, from Mexico when he was 8 years old. “It was a lot at once, with my parents trying to find work and the whole family learning a new language. It was hard,” shares Tony, “A lot of people were willing to help though.” Tony remembers visiting their local food bank and also receiving food assistance from a church
Elia and Tony met in 2013 and married in 2017. Tony grew up helping his father with construction work and had owned a handyman business with his family, so it was natural for the newly married couple to venture out into their own remodeling business.
Elia and Tony opened their first business together in 2019. With their business EVOQ, they purchased and remodeled houses and then provided them as rental properties. As Elia was growing up, she always lived in apartments. Knowing how much a single residence house can mean to a family, Elia and Tony make sure their homes are affordable.
Tony and a close friend of his, Adolfo, opened Kitchen and Bath Builders in January 2020. Elia joined the team as interior designer and office manager.
And then the pandemic hit three months later. Things were slow for a couple of months, but then really took off again as folks who had been spending a lot of time at home decided to start remodeling projects.
With time to reflect during the start of the pandemic and business now booming, they found themselves in a position to give back and with a great desire to do so.
“We had some time to slow down from work to realize how far we’d come,” shares Elia. “We are now in a position where it’s time we give back, so hopefully those we help can one day be in the position to help others.”
Kitchen and Bath Builders is based in Federal Way and does projects from Bothell to Tacoma. You can find out more about them on their website at https://kitchenandbath.builders/.
