The Volunteering Page of Andrew Black

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
Future homeowner Jasmine Garner longs for the day she and her children have a safe, decent, affordable place to call their permanent home. Several years ago, Jasmine was living in public housing but decided to move to a private rental in a better neighborhood after her home was broken into multiple times. Before the birth of her son, Kyrie, the two-bedroom apartment was a comfortable living space. Since Kyrie’s birth, however, the family is finding the space to be cramped. The small home also has a few structural problems including windows that do not lock properly, unusable outlets and light switches, and uneven, cracked concrete at the porch entryway. When a friends and relatives told Jasmine about the Habitat program, she decided to apply in hopes of providing her children with a more suitable home. Jasmine describes her five-year-old daughter as having more energy and personality than anyone she’s ever met as well as a kind heart. When talking about baby Kyrie, Jasmine jokes that he’s already a little spoiled. The family enjoys watching movies, making snacks, and just spending quality time together – all of which they will soon do in their very own home!

A BRIGHT FUTURE
During her months in the Habitat program, Jasmine has already invested numerous sweat equity hours at ReStore and in House2Home education classes where she learned valuable skills regarding homeownership, maintenance, and personal and financial wellness. Now that she has selected the location of her future home, Jasmine is eager to complete sweat equity on her worksite and physically help with the construction of her house. In addition to completing sweat equity hours, Jasmine works hard to provide for her family financially. She has been employed in the food industry as a packaging associate for roughly four years. Right now, Jasmine is balancing a lot between work, raising her children, and completing the weekly Habitat sweat equity requirements but she knows that making a short term sacrifice will provide long term gain. When asked what she looks forward to about being a homeowner, Jasmine responded, “Having a better peace of mind and the wonderful feeling of knowing that I have taken this step to own my own home.”