The Volunteering Page of MARK COVENTRY

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.

Family and Current Housing
Angela Kelly is building a home with Habitat to leave a legacy for her children—something that will last even after she’s gone. The Kelly family currently lives in a rental property with several structural problems. A leak in the bathroom has caused enough water damage that the drywall in the ceiling is sagging and in one spot has crumbled and left the wooden beams exposed. A window had been taped in place because it frequently blows out during heavy winds or rain. One bedroom doesn’t have heat. And a sewage backup in the basement got so bad that Angela had to call the health department. Outside, there also are several concerns: A family of raccoons has made its home in the eaves and roof of the house, which is a nuisance, and Angela worries about ongoing drug activity in the surrounding neighborhood. Angela works two jobs to support her family—one as a revenue specialist for a transportation and logistics company and one as a night auditor for a hotel. But as her income has increased, so has her rent. Instead of paying someone else for her housing—and relying on them to fix things—she’s ready to become a homeowner and begin building wealth for her family through homeownership.

Since joining the Habitat partnership, Angela has taken classes to prepare her to be a first-time homeowner, including a course that taught her how to maintain the fixtures in her new home. She knows that having those skills will help make her home affordable, as she will be able to handle the upkeep herself. When Angela thinks about her Habitat home, she thinks about the little things—her children being able to shut the doors to their bedrooms and still have heat inside the rooms, finally being able to paint their rooms the colors they want, nailing pictures to the walls, and putting up decorations outside. Angela hopes that, by watching her, her children are learning that with hard work, anything is possible. She is excited to give her family a home where they can take responsibility for caring for the house and take pride in what they have. Her goal in partnering with Habitat was to create a better life for herself and her children, and she can’t wait to build new memories after the family receives the keys to their new home. “It will make a big difference in my life by having something to call my own,” she said.