The Volunteering Page of ashley smith

Thank you for volunteering for this build! Your efforts will help the Bederman 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 Bederman Family. Read their bio below.

FAMILY AND CURRENT HOUSING

Craig and Joyce Bederman applied for the Habitat homeownership program to provide their family with a place to live and thrive. This close-knit family of six currently resides in a small Stark Metropolitan and Housing Authority (SMHA) three bedroom apartment which makes the prospect of owning a more spacious home appealing to the Bedermans. Although the apartment has minimal structural problems, Craig and Joyce are ready to pursue their dream of being homeowners and providing a safe, stable place for Brittany, Destiny, Niyah, and Craig Jr. to call home.

In addition to raising their children and fulfilling Habitat sweat equity requirements, Craig and Joyce work hard to provide for their family. Craig is currently employed with Fresh Mark Inc. where he has worked for several years. Like many families in the Habitat program, Craig and Joyce will be among the first in their families to purchase their own home which they recognize is a huge accomplishment and privilege. When speaking with the couple, it is very clear that they want to set a good example for their children when it comes to working hard, accomplishing goals, and leaving a legacy.

A PERFECT FIT

The Bedermans have been actively participating in the Habitat program in the months leading up to the start of their future home and have already accomplished so much. Craig and Joyce have completed their education classes in which they learned financial responsibility, home maintenance and repair, and other skills to help them become successful homeowners. Joyce especially enjoyed participating in a class called Foundations that focuses less on the physical building of a Habitat home and more on personal growth and development. It was in this class that Joyce developed friendships with her fellow Partner Families as they shared and grew together.

The Bederman’s Habitat experience has truly been a family affair as their two oldest daughters, Brittany and Destiny, have had the opportunity to learn new skills and appreciate the process of building a home while working alongside their mother on various worksites. Now that the Bedermans have selected a lot in Canton, they will soon be working together on their own house and eagerly anticipate the day they will become homeowners. They are also tremendously grateful for all who will play a part in helping their dream of homeownership come true. “Without Habitat we wouldn’t have this opportunity so it’s a blessing for people to give back, volunteer, and just to be a part of it,” Joyce said. “It’s beautiful.”