I am a Habitat for Humanity family partner, and the owner of a Habitat home. And I am a proud Habitat for Humanity supporter. I cannot say enough what a blessing the Habitat Organization of Portage County has been to my life. I was abandoned nine months pregnant by my husband of seven years with our third baby. After the bank foreclosed on our home, and I was left homeless with three little children, I had no other choice but to move back home with my parents. That's when I was introduced to the wonderful people at Habitat for Humanity. I was afraid to apply but did so anyway because I so wanted a home for my children. After being a housewife for seven years to raise my children, I went back to work at the Canaland Christian Daycare. It was hard to go back and put my baby in a in a daycare but I had to do it to make a better life for my children and have the income to afford the home. Every Saturday, I faithfully went to my home site to help Habitat build my little palace. I took such pride in being able to help build my home. From learning how to use power tools, to staining, painting, nailing etc., I tried to do a little of everything. My mother and I also prepared meals for the hardworking crew. We cooked and baked homemade meals that everyone seemed to really enjoy after working so hard on our little home!

After the completion of my home I also went back to school for a degree in Law Enforcement to extend my education, get a better job and again make a better life for my children. I soon discovered I had to make a choice; college or full time. I tried to do both but with the amount of studying required for Law Enforcement was too great. I couldn't juggle work, school, studying, helping my own children with their school work, family time and getting enough hours at Canaland to pay the bills. I made a choice, I had to quit school, work full time to pay the bills and be there for my children. That's where I want to make a long story short. Life is full of choices. It wasn't easy to have to get up on Saturdays to work on my home, find childcare while I worked at the home site, get a job after being able to stay home to raise my children for so long, give up my dream to be a cop in order to work, pay the bills, help my children with their homework and just be a mom to them. It took sacrifice and commitment. It was a good decision. I made it for my family and for our home and I would make it again!

I will support and respect Habitat for Humanity for the rest of my life; they gave me a fresh start in wanting to work towards a goal to make my life better. Thank you Habitat for Humanity, you will always have my support and you are a true blessing to my family and to this community.