Joan and her granddaugher share much
more than hereditary ties. This unique grandmother and
granddaughter team share a zest for life, a supportive
relationship, and now, a Habitat for Humanity home.
Like all grandmothers, Joan is extremely proud of her
fifteen year-old granddaughter, but a very unique bond
exists between these family members. Joan has cared for
her granddaughter since she was young. She sayd, "Weare so
happy in our Habitat home, and our relationship has
strengthened significantly since we moved in. There's no two
ways about it - there's love in this house."
Much has
changed for them since moving into their Habitat
home. The granddaughter is now able to wake up each morning, get ready
for the school day, and eat breakfast in a healthy, safe
environment. Even as a teenager, she is making big plans
for her future. She smiles widely, showing off a mouth full
of braces, "I'm going to college. I want to be an eighth
grade teacher."
Life was very different for the
familiy before they moved into their Habitat home
just one year ago. They lived in low-incoming
housing for thirteen years. Joan remembers the difficulties
of their situation, "There were days that I didn't even know
how I was going to be able to afford infant formula for
her."
Depsite their dire circumstances, Joan had
faith that if she worked hard enough God would provide for
them. When she learned about Habitat for Humanity's unique
homeownership program, she was ecstatic for the opportunity
to apply for her own home. Joan says that they
would hold hands and pray every night, "God, please let
there be a Habitat house in our future!"
Their hopes and prayers were realized when they were
selected for a Habitat home in 2002, but they knew the hard
work was just about to begin. Joan spent hundreds of hours
of "sweat equity" on the construction of her home. A year
later she proudly says, "I can sit here on my couch and look
around and remember all the hours that I put into building
this house."
Joan and her granddaughter were each
other's only support system for so many years. Through the
construction of their Habitat home, they truly felt the
spirit of a community that showed them hope and love through
their actions. Knowing how much faith, determination, and
love went into building their home gives them a great
sense of peace and joy. Joan fondly remembers the volunteers
who toiled alongside her, "I think that's why it's so loving
here. So many people came together to provide this
opportunity for us."