Dasia is an Evansville native and a loving mother to her daughter Avery, who will turn 6 this March. Avery just started Kindergarten this school year and has been getting good notes sent home from her teacher. The two love spending time as a family watching movies or doing their hair and makeup together – Dasia shares that Avery absolutely loves doing her nails and has to have a new color each week. When Dasia has free time, she likes relaxing or spending time with friends.

During the day, Dasia works in food services at Ascension St. Vincent. “I like my job,” she says, “I’ve been there almost 4 years. But working at a hospital, it’s definitely been different since Covid started.”

Dasia’s current living situation leaves much to be desired. She’s had trouble with maintenance taking care of issues at her rental in a timely manner, and with a small floorplan and no outdoor space, there’s not much room for Avery to run and play. Most concerningly, her unit has an unaddressed mold problem that could lead to long term health issues.

Luckily, Dasia was familiar with the Habitat homeownership program because her friends DeAdria and Kaynah had both recently completed their own Habitat homes. Dasia felt the opportunity would be a good one for her family and she applied. “It was a pretty easy process,” she says. “I got in the first time I applied.”

Now Dasia is making great progress on her “sweat equity,” having put in time raising walls on construction sites of others’ homes, helping at the ReStore, and volunteering with United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE). “It’s been busier than usual, but it’s a good process. I’ve really enjoyed the construction, the Core Crew [volunteers] are awesome – they are so funny and cool.”

Having reached the 150-hour sweat equity milestone, Dasia is finally able to select the lot her future home will stand on. “I actually reached 150 hours today and that made it hit me that this is real. I’m so excited to pick my lot.”

Moving forward, Dasia says the biggest blessings her new home will bring to her family are more space and being able to save money. “The cost [of a Habitat mortgage payment] is a big thing for me. And having that third bedroom to do something special for me is exciting.”

“There’s a quote I read recently that really stood out to me. ‘It won’t be easy but buying my own home has been a lifelong dream, and knowing that I will only get out of it what I put into it, I’m ready to get a little sweat on my brow and realize my dream to its fullest.’ It spoke to me because this is a process where I have to work and actually get sweat on my brow, knowing that I actually am out there working for my own home. And to my sponsor and the volunteers, it really means a lot to us,” she adds, “and it’s going to take a weight off of my shoulders knowing Avery will always have a home that is ours to come back to that I helped build.”