Cheyenne and her six-year-old daughter Nova enjoy being active and spending time together. She has worked the last six years as a pharmacy technician and was a patient care technician at the hospital prior to that.
They currently live with Cheyenne’s parents, where she and Nova share a room. She has continuously looked at apartments and houses to rent, but due to the high rates, renting just isn’t an option for her. She is ready to move to the next stage of her life, establishing her independence and providing stability for her daughter.
Both Cheyenne’s mother and boyfriend encouraged her to look into the Habitat program. She didn’t know much about it and thought it was a house that was just given out. She didn’t realize how much work was involved and what a big commitment it was for potential homeowners. At first, she had doubts about being able to take it on, but with the encouragement of family, friends and other future homeowners in the Habitat program, her self-confidence has grown.
For Cheyenne, the process of becoming a homeowner has been difficult at times. Achieving the 300 hours of sweat equity and taking the required classes has sometimes been overwhelming, but having a good support system keeps her going. She has found the Money Management class very helpful. Learning to create a savings plan and build a budget have always been challenging to her, but the class has given her the confidence to believe that she can do both.
When Cheyenne opens the door to her new Habitat home, she feels like it is going to change so much for her and her daughter. She says, “it’s going to be like opening a new chapter of my life.” She can’t wait to make the place her own and is excited for her daughter to have her own room. She is also happy that she will be living near other Habitat homeowners and that they can make it a community that everyone can be proud of.
Cheyenne is so grateful to her sponsor, to all the Habitat volunteers and to the staff at Habitat. She says, “I just want to thank them for giving me the chance to prove myself, and for the blessing of this opportunity. Saying ‘thank you’ just isn’t enough.” She wants to give everyone who has helped her a big hug.