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 am writing in response to recent attacks on the good Habitat for Humanity name. 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 now am remarried to a wonderful man whom I met in my Law Enforcement classes. He is not only my husband, he is my hero. He is a sergeant of the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the horrible start of the Iraq War for almost a year. He is also familiar with sacrifice, the sacrifice he made for our country in the fight against terrorism. I am so proud of him, for his dedication to both our country and our family. He is a husband and father and his commitment to our family, along with so many sacrifices he makes on a daily basis is remarkable. That's what it is about working hard for the good of the family, not waiting for someone else to do it for you.

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity I have a home, but it took work and commitment. I know if I wouldn't have put in my hours on the home, there would not be a home. I know if we don't make the house payment, the house will be taken away. It's a clear understanding that is laid out in the beginning by Habitat for Humanity. So many people have a twisted idea these homes are just given to families for free, that is so untrue and I wish that would be clarified. We still go through really horrible persecution with one of our neighbors who call us "Habitat people" and our children "Habitat kids" in a derogatory way because she thinks we got our home for free. This recent attack in the Stevens Point Journal against Habitat for Humanity makes people like my neighbor feel like they are right, that Habitat recipients get their homes for free. Plus, it also makes past recipients feel like it's not fair that they had to put work hours in and this individual did not. Moreover future recipients will look at this situation and feel like they should not have to comply with Habitat rules and requirements if this person didn't have to work on their house with no consequences and she got her home anyway. I look at it as it was a learning experience in being able to help build my own home. Lack of childcare is just an excuse, because there is always someone to help, but you have to look, again it takes commitment to get the job done.

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.