Abby B. didn’t think she would be accepted into the Habitat program. She felt that her need wasn’t great enough, but she also knew that becoming a homeowner would be virtually impossible without help. She has been living with her parents, and last summer, the house caught fire and was virtually destroyed. She lost many of her possessions, and her dream of independence was further away than ever. Since the fire, she has spent a lot of time living in a hotel. She works as a bank teller at a local credit union, where she has been for almost two years.
Her dad had friends who were involved with Habitat, so she has always known about the program. Her mother encouraged her to apply, but she still had misgivings about the need, and she also knew she needed help with money management. However, she soon found out that she would be taking classes in financial management and would be working with a budget partner. Now that she has become part of the program, she is saving in ways she didn’t think were possible.
Abby loves being a part of Habitat. Not only does she enjoy the classes, but she also volunteers on a build every Saturday. She was worried the first time she worked on a house because she didn’t feel like she knew what she was doing. She had to ask so many questions, but everyone was so helpful. “Whether it was a Core Crew member or a fellow future Habitat homeowner, they were there to help me.” She has developed many genuine friendships with the other homeowners, and she always looks forward to seeing them as she completes her 300 hours of sweat equity. There have been times when she was nearly overwhelmed, but she has persevered. She finds that the longer she is on this journey, the more confident she feels.
“My goal in life has been to own a home,” Abby says. She was feeling as if she was going to be dependent on her parents forever, but now she is going to be able to own a home that she helped design and build. It means so much to her to be able to accomplish something that she thought might not be possible. When she moves into her home, she wants to plant a garden in the back with flowers, fruit, and vegetables. She wants to build a gazebo and looks forward to welcoming family and friends to her own backyard.
Abby becomes emotional when she thinks about how much her sponsors, the volunteers, and the other Habitat owners have done for her. She says, “Without them, none of this would have been possible. I couldn’t have done this on my own, and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone. Habitat gives hope to people.”