Habitat Success Stories

Gonzales Family

Three years ago I made the tough decision to separate from my now ex-husband.  I packed up with our four kids and embarked on building a new life for me and my children knowing that I would be on my own.  It hasn’t been an easy three years though.  Initially we moved into a tiny two bedroom apartment.  During this time my mother had moved back to the city with my little brother.  With them also needing a place to stay, I let them move in with us.  It was tough in such a small space and being the only one working supporting the household.

That September I received a call from an apartment I applied at which was much more spacious for my children and I, four bedrooms and two baths.  But my mom and brother still weren’t able to move on their own so they ended up moving with us.  My oldest daughter Victoria let them have her bedroom and she split her time between my bedroom and her sister Raquel’s bedroom.  While we were there my pregnant sister moved back from Atlanta with my nephew and ended up moving with us also.  Still being the only one employed I searched for a second job so that all of our necessities could be met.  That part-time job turned into me working two full-time jobs barely seeing my kids.  Sometimes in life you have to make sacrifices and I am fortunate to have kids that understood that.

After a year of working the two jobs my family had moved out and it was just my kids and me.  I made a promise to them and said that going forward it would just be us.  One night we were talking and they asked me if we could buy a house so they could have a yard to play in and be able to paint their rooms however they wanted.  I made a promise that night and told them that the next time we moved it would be into a home of our own because they deserved that.  I quit my second job and decided to go back to school so that I could get into a career that would allow me to keep that promise.

A co-worker at my job told me how she had gotten a home through Habitat and said I should call.  I made a call that would eventually change our lives forever.  Getting accepted into this program has been such a major blessing.  Habitat and every employee of theirs, volunteer, donor, and future home owner that I have come in contact with has helped me keep a promise that I made to my children.  I will be forever grateful to each and every one of them for the sacrifices they made for my family so selflessly.

Homeownership Program

We build good, safe, affordable homes that not only meet your needs but also give you a place you’re proud to call home.

Home Repair Program

This program helps low-income, elderly, and or disabled homeowners who may struggle to manage necessary repairs on their own.