The Volunteering Page of FREEDOM FENTON

Family and Current Housing
Currently, the Gibbons family lives in a two-bedroom apartment that’s too small for four growing kids and that doesn’t offer much privacy. Previously, the family had rented a home, which had more space for her children to play, but it posed other problems. The heat didn’t work in the upper level of the home, there was a carbon monoxide leak and a water leak, and the rent was too high to be affordable. Latysa learned about Habitat’s homeownership program while shopping at ReStore. She is looking forward to having a home that’s hers and that she can take pride in taking care of. Owning a one-story home also will be a major help to one of her sons, who has a prosthetic leg and has struggled with the steps at the family’s previous rental properties. Every time Latysa comes to Habitat to complete her sweat equity hours, she tells her children that she’s going to go build their house. She wants them to understand that the home will be theirs and that she’s putting in the hours so that they can have a brighter future.

A Bright Future
Latysa works hard at her job as a medical assistant at a local health care facility, and she’s working hard toward building her home. She’s completed all her classes as part of the Habitat partnership, which she said helped her get her finances organized and learn things about herself she hadn’t noticed before. When she pictures her finished Habitat home, Latysa imagines her kids in their own rooms. She sees them all having family time in the living room and her cooking dinner in the kitchen. She’s thankful that her kids will have stability – they won’t have to switch school districts and they can make friends with other families in their neighborhood. Growing up, Latysa also moved around a lot, and she watched as her mom tried to remain strong for Latysa and her sibilings. When things feel difficult, Latysa reminds herself to keep pushing, just like her mom did.“I want to be like her,” she said, “and I want to show my kids we are going to make it.”