Zach and Alyssa, who met through their church, have been married for about two years. Zach is a youth minister and Alyssa is a full-time student. Before she went back to school, Alyssa worked at the Dream Center for two years, working mostly with students in middle school and high school. Zach and Alyssa don’t have any children but embrace each one of the kids in their youth ministry group as their own. Alyssa grew up in the Jacobsville neighborhood, and she has always wanted to live there as an adult.

Currently, Zach and Alyssa live in a small house which the church helps them rent. Before that they lived in an apartment. Their deepest regret about living in a small rental is that they do not have enough room to help students in their ministry who are in difficult situations and might need a place to stay for a while. They want their new home to be a safe haven for their students.

Zach and Alyssa were encouraged to apply to Habitat by a friend from their church. As they learned about Habitat, they became increasingly interested in the program. As Zach says, “Finding out more about Habitat made me want to be a part of it.”

Now that they are in the program, they have learned about the lending process, money management, and other skills that will enable them to become successful homeowners. “It’s been a full-on investment on our side. It’s been overwhelming how much support and help we have received, and how much people love us.”

Not long ago, Zach and Alyssa had given up on the dream of homeownership. Now, thanks to Habitat, they see it is possible. They are so grateful to Habitat and to the many volunteers that make the program work.

“Thank you is not enough. Habitat is a tangible feeling of God’s love.”