The Volunteering Page of Beth Yoak

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

Family and Current Housing
After years of living in public housing, private rentals, or with friends and family, Shonna Straughter is ready to invest in a home that she owns to provide stability for her family for years to come. At the time of application, Shonna and her two daughters, Karreona and Adriona, were living in a private rental in Canton. The home was difficult to heat, had faulty plumbing, and was plagued with black mold. Of particular concern to Shonna was the high drug and crime rate in the neighborhood. In fact, her home has been broken into several times. In addition to the windows being boarded up to prevent further break-ins, the landlord greatly increased Shonna’s rent to cover repair costs for the damage done when the home was robbed. Eventually, the high rent and unsatisfactory living conditions led Shonna to apply for the Habitat homeownership program and pursue her dream of owning her own home. Shonna is an excellent role model for her daughters and is especially excited to set an example of hard work by providing them with a permanent place to live. Sixteen-year-old Karreona stays busy as a junior in high school and an employee at McDonalds. Adriona is an active nine-year-old who participates in softball, basketball, track, and gymnastics.

A Perfect Fit
Since being accepted into the program, Shonna has been an ideal Partner Family. She has already completed numerous hours of sweat equity working on the future homes of other families in the program. She has also prepared for the additional responsibility of owning her own home by participating in Habitat’s House2Home education series. Shonna’s friendly, open personality was especially valued during the Financial Success classes where she actively contributed to the weekly discussions about personal finance, budgeting, and saving for the future. In addition to raising her children and completing the Habitat sweat equity requirements each week, Shonna works hard to provide for her family. She has been employed as a State Tested Nurse Assistant (STNA) at Akron City Hospital for five years. All of Shonna’s hard work will soon pay off and her dream of homeownership will become reality when work begins on her future home in Canton this year. “I’m so excited about owning my own home,” Shonna said. “It’s a dream come true and will make a big difference in my life as well as my kids’ lives.”