Sophia was only four months old when her mom made the courageous decision to leave an abusive relationship. Her kid’s safety was her first priority, and although she wasn’t sure where they would go, she knew she needed to leave.
After two years of separation, Stacey connected with Shelterhouse and was helped through the process of divorce, having the fear of losing her children lifted.
Stacey, her new husband and their kids needed a more stable and affordable place to raise their family. After learning about a friend who participated in the Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program, they decided to apply – and were accepted!
After months of working with the team at Habitat learning how to budget their money, helping at the Habitat ReStore and volunteering to build other homes and clean up neighborhoods it was finally time to start on their home.
“This house means so much to us,” shared Stacey. “We really enjoyed working with the Habitat team to customize the house to meet our needs. My kids even got to pick the colors of their bedrooms!”
Stacey shared that their new home is the reason her now husband was able to adopt her two youngest kids – keeping them safe from harm if something were to happen to her.
Now, Sophia and her siblings have a yard to run in with their dogs, have planted their favorite fruit trees and welcomed their newest baby sister into the house they’ve made their home.
“If I could talk to someone else in a similar situation as us, I would share with them to not give up,” said Stacey. “With hard work and determination, you can achieve your goals.”
