The Volunteering Page of Scott Paazig

family and current housing
Future Habitat homeowner LaToya Lyles is ready for the day she and her family can move into a home that isn't just theirs, but is a better fit for the needs of the family. Currently, they are living in a three bedroom, two story private rental home in Uhrichsville, Ohio. LaToya has three children of her own as well as custody of her cousin, Michael. The rental home is overcrowded, and LaToya is paying more than she can truly afford. The home has many structural problems, including windows that do not open properly, rotten floorboards and a cracked vanity in the bathroom, and cracks in the walls and ceilings due to a sinking foundation. The foundation issue also prevents the front door from properly closing and locking. There was a mold problem in the basement which caused Jamar's asthma to flare up until they scrubbed everything down with bleach. Although these things are all cause for concern, LaToya is most desperate to move into a new home because of Nakiah's special needs. LaToya calls Nakiah her miracle baby. Born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (a brittle bone disease), Nakiah was born with five broken bones and was not expected to leave the hospital. She has broken over 113 bones and undergone numerous surgeries in her short life, is wheelchair bound, and is a dwarf. But none of this has stopped Nakiah, described by her mother as a fighter and inspiration. The family's current home is too cramped for Nakiah to use her electric wheelchair and instead she must be carried room to room, and up and down the stairs by her mother. Struggling to find a handicap accessible, one story rental in the school district that can accommodate Nakiah's needs, LaToya decided to apply for the Habitat program with the hopes that she could build and purchase an accessible home. Soon this active, sports loving, close-knit family will have a home where they can live, grow, and thrive for years to come.

a bright future
During the time LaToya has been involved in the Habitat program, she has completed numerous hours of sweat equity on worksites and at ReStore. She also participated in Habitat's ten-week House2Home education series where she learned valuable skills regarding homeownership, maintenance, and personal and financial wellness. In addition to completing the weekly Habitat sweat equity hours and raising her children, LaToya works hard to provide financially for her family. She has been employed as an administrative assistant at an industrial trucking production company for over two years. Although sometimes doing all this can seem like a lot, LaToya is committed to making a short term sacrifice for the long term benefit of owning her own home and providing a safe, decent, affordable place for her family to live and grow. "I am most excited that my daughter will finally have a home where she can live more independently!