Andrea is the hard-working mother of four daughters ranging in age from twelve to nineteen. All four of her daughters play softball and a couple of them play volleyball, so they are always at some sporting event. She also has a dog and a rabbit. Andrea has worked at Schnucks for fourteen years and is currently one of the managers there.
Andrea and her family currently rent a house, and before that, they were in a poorly maintained house where there were rodents and other pests. At one point, the heat went out, and it took a week for it to be restored. She has rented all her life, and it has been her goal for a long time to own a home and to build stability for her family going forward.
Andrea learned about Habitat from a friend who encouraged her to apply. She was hesitant because she felt that her credit wasn’t where it needed to be. However, she decided to apply anyway and was accepted. She and her daughters were very excited and ready to go to work.
In many ways, her partnership with Habitat for Humanity has been a process. It has been like taking on another full-time job on top of being the mother of four and already working full-time. However, she has found a lot of support in many different people. Her employer has been very supportive, allowing her to adjust her hours as needed to complete her 300 hours of sweat equity. Her oldest daughter has been able to volunteer and help her with her hours. The younger kids are disappointed that they can’t help, but try to encourage her however they can. She has also found help and support from the other future Habitat homeowners who are further along in the process.
In addition to her sweat equity hours, Andrea has found the required Money Management course extremely helpful. She is especially grateful for everything her instructors have taught her and says that it “works wonders.”
Andrea is very grateful for her sponsor and for all the volunteers who have helped her and her family move towards their dream of homeownership. She looks forward to planting a garden in her very own yard and to hosting family get-togethers. The girls are looking forward to decorating their own rooms for the first time.
Andrea’s partnership with Habitat has allowed her to achieve a lifelong goal. She says, “It’s always been a dream to own a home and have something to leave for my girls.”