The Volunteering Page of Patricia Wood

Thank you for volunteering for this build! Your efforts will help the Saunier Family with their dream of owning a safe, decent, and affordable home. We look forward to having you out on the work site. We promise your volunteer experience will be fun! Get to know the Saunier Family. Read their bio below.

FAMILY AND CURRENT HOUSING

While there are many things future homeowners James and Tiffany Saunier look forward to about owning their own home, they are most excited about having a permanent place to raise their four girls. Both James and Tiffany are Canton natives and recall frequently moving from rental property to rental property while growing up. Their desire to give their children an opportunity they never had motivated the couple to pursue their dream of homeownership and apply for the Habitat program.

Like many families in the Habitat program, James and Tiffany will be among the first in their families to purchase their own home which they recognize is a huge accomplishment and privilege. At the time of application, this charming family of six was living in a private rental with multiple structure problems and safety issues including broken electrical outlets, poor insulation and heating, and crumbling baseboards and trim throughout. Of greatest concern to James and Tiffany was the complete lack of heat in one of their daughters’ bedrooms. Their four daughters Attianna, Savanah, Nevaeh, and Zarena are a joy to be around and enjoy singing, dancing, video games, and playing house. Soon the Saunier family will experience all these things and more in their very own home.

A PERFECT FIT

James and Tiffany selected a lot in Minerva, Ohio where they will work alongside volunteers and other Partner Families to build their dream home. While waiting to begin construction on their home, James and Tiffany have been actively participating in sweat equity by working on other Habitat new-contribution and rehab homes. Together, the couple have graveled foundations, constructed walls, hung drywall and siding, and painted various houses which will help prepare them to be leaders on the construction of their own home when the times comes. James and Tiffany are great workers and are frequently praised for their strong work ethic and positive attitudes while on worksites each week.

The couple has also completed their Habitat homeowner education series designed to prepare them for homeownership financially and from a maintenance standpoint. In addition to completing the Habitat sweat equity requirements, James works as a packaging technician at Cargill in Akron, Ohio. Soon, all of this couple’s hard work and patient waiting will pay off as their dream of homeownership comes true. When asked what they are most excited about, James and Tiffany replied, “Having a house for our kids to grow up in and being able to say this is our home, we built this from the ground up.”