In a day and age when Americans seem to be losing hope, one street corner in Simi Valley—at least for now—is chock-full of it.

This December, three families will be able to enjoy their first Christmas inside the walls of new homes they helped build on Royal Avenue. It's sure to be a magical moment made possible by a group of people with the kind of "let's get it done" spirit that this country so sorely needs right now.

Last Saturday's ribbon-cutting for the city's first Habitat for Humanity build was an inspiring spectacle to say the least. Emotions—both those of the grateful families and those of the project's large team of dedicated volunteers—ran high, and tears were shed.

For at least one day, the folks that gathered there weren't dwelling on what we as a society stand to lose in this economic crisis, but on what we still have to give.

It's important to remember that three homes now standing on the corner of Royal and Sequoia were almost never built.

Shortly after Habitat proposed the project to the City Council in 2003, opposition arose. At that time, a group of residents living nearby arrived at city hall to express their concerns about the effect a collection of low-income homes would have on their property values, a few people even hinting that those who would be placed in the homes would be undesirables.

But council members and Habitat—undeterred by the scare tactics and driven by what they knew was a good thing—pushed forward, although the number of homes to be built was wittled from six to three.

Then, three weeks ago, thieves stole more than $10,000 worth of tools from the site, threatening to dash the families' dreams of moving into their homes in time for the holidays.

If the thieves had any hopes of playing Grinch, they picked the wrong city in which to do it. Within a few days of the robbery—and after it had been written about in local papers— donors from across the city came out in force to help the volunteers resume their work. Farmers Insurance even donated $15,000 and offered to insure all three homes for a year.

This holiday, if you happen to find your "hope" tank running on empty, take a drive down Royal Avenue and see the homes that were built. And take a moment to give thanks that here in Simi Valley, the bailouts still come from within.