Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio
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Before You Volunteer: Please scroll down to learn more about what to expect when you volunteer with Habitat. Please also know that Habitat will monitor local and federal health and safety guidelines and implement any applicable restrictions that may be in place on the day you volunteer.

Burch Family and Current Housing
Brittany Burch says the new home she will build with Habitat will be the best thing that’s ever happened to her family. Brittany, her three daughters, and her infant grandson live in Southwest Canton in a private rental home with several structural issues. The doors don’t seal properly, and the windows are single-paned, so the house is drafty. A constant water leak that remains unfixed has raised Brittany’s monthly water bill above $300 and damaged the first-floor ceiling. Brittany also worries about her children’s safety, as there have been break-ins, shootings and drug activity in the neighborhood. While she’s thankful her job at Synchrony Financial has provided her with the income she needed to move out of public housing and into the rental duplex her family lives in now, Brittany knows building a Habitat home will make a huge difference for her children. She becomes emotional when she thinks about what her Habitat home will mean for her family. A space they all can enjoy together – along with the stability it will offer – will be “everything,” she says. She and her daughters talk about their new home every day, and Brittany hopes that from watching her, they learn to never give up, stay strong and always follow through with what they want to do.

Thomas Family and Current Housing
After years of living in rentals, Precious Thomas, is ready for a home that she can call her own. For the past decade, Precious has used a Section 8 voucher to help offset the cost her rental home. Although grateful for the rental assistance, Precious has become frustrated by the repairs and maintenance issues that tend to pile up until the landlord comes to fix them right before the yearly SMHA inspection. Some repairs are beyond her abilities, but many have been paid for and completed by Precious. A few furnace issues that she was not willing to wait on have been repaired by a family friend. The water has been turned off several times because the landlord forgets to pay the water bill. He has tried to make Precious pay this bill even though her lease contract clearly states it is his responsibility. A two-room addition was attached to the back of the home and is now causing problems. There is clear evidence of shifting/sagging where the walls and ceiling tiles are separating, door frames are out of line, and the floor is warped and has soft spots. Two walls have moisture behind the drywall that results in black mold frequently popping up that she then removes with bleach. When Precious met a co-worker who had recently paid off her Habitat mortgage, she decided to put aside her nerves and pursue homeownership through the program. Although her children are now adults, Precious is excited to have a place they can come home to and be a family. She is so proud of her daughter, Des’Za’Rae, who earned a degree from Miami University and her son, Xavier, who is playing football for the University of Albany.

Cundiff Family and Current Housing
Future homeowner Tomeka Cundiff and her two children are currently living in a small, two-bedroom private rental apartment in Canton. When they first moved in, Koree was an infant so sharing a room with Tomeka was not an issue. However, Tomeka knows they will soon outgrow the apartment and she would love to have a place for her children to grow and thrive. The apartment has several plumbing issues: a constant drip under the kitchen sink possibly caused by a loose connection in the faucet; the bathtub leaks out onto the bathroom floor; and the bathtub faucet has a constant, cold water drip which results in cold showers/baths. The property management company knows but has not addressed any of these plumbing issues. The bedroom windows are nailed shut and the only A/C unit is in the living room which means the bedrooms become very hot during the summer months in this top floor unit. The living room window has cracked glass, heavy condensation between panes, and black mold. Not long ago there was a bedbug infestation that started in the common area and laundry space then spread to the entire building. Extermination seemed to get rid of the bugs, but Tomeka fears it happening again. After hearing about the Habitat program from friends and family, Tomeka decided to pursue this opportunity for herself. “The house we’re going to build is going to be a foundation for our family,” explained Tomeka.“It will be the breeding ground for memories, parties, my children being able to entertain their family and friends. It’s going to be a wonderful thing to bring our family together!” Tomeka has two children, six-year-old Jessiah and two-year-old Koree. Jessiah is already showing signs of being a good athlete and little Koree is a sweet, outgoing toddler.
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Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio logo
In Support of Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio
As a grassroots Christian housing ministry serving Stark, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Harrison, and Jefferson Counties, Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio is driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live. People partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. To learn more, visit habitateco.org.