What We Do

Meet Our Habitat Homeowners

Building Hope, One Home at a Time- Habitat for Humanity is an organization that constructs and rehabilitates simple, decent homes through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials. Rather than a giveaway program, Habitat for Humanity focuses on offering a hand-up, not a hand-out. Each partner family contributes “sweat equity” hours to the construction of their own home and those of other families, which in turn decreases the cost of the house and increases a sense of pride in ownership. Habitat homes are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with a loan that has below-market interest rates. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are then applied to funding future homes, thus perpetuating a cycle of community support.

Susan

Barbara

Daisy

Sabrina & Olivier

Humberto & Mireya

Jennifer

Tlueka

Jenna

Cristal

Janice & George

Abdul

Ezechiel & Yoranda

Elsa

Marisa & Tino

Theo & Odette

Lawella

Connie

Andrea

Carmen

Rubi

Susan

I’d like to say my story was easy to write, but to my surprise I had many unexpected emotions reliving all my past struggles. However, with all the sadness also came an overwhelming sense of happiness at what I’ve overcome to get to this point in my life.

My struggles started as a child. After years of being in an abusive marriage, my mom wanted a better life and a safer environment for me and my sisters. My mother divorced my dad when I was just 5 years old. She struggled for years being a single mom of three girls. We moved quite a bit and attended multiple schools which led to us always having to make new friends. Years later my mom was finally able to buy her first townhouse. We lived there for about 9 years, but then she remarried and moved away with him.

My oldest sister and I lived with a roommate in the townhouse and paid rent to my mom. After a while I could not afford it, so my mother made me move with her and her husband. The house rule was if I was not attending school, then I had to pay them rent. I had decided to quit school with the permission of my mother at the age of 17 but was working at the time as well. Soon after I moved in with her, I could not afford to pay the rent they asked so I was then kicked out at the age of 18. I ended up living with a friend for about four months. At this time, I was working in the hotel industry as a front desk supervisor/manager. I was very proud of that position since I was so young and felt I had bigger things in store for me in life. I then ventured off on my own and rented my first apartment. Although I knew it would be a challenge, it did not deter me from what I wanted to accomplish. I had goals, dreams, and passions! I always sought after more and never settled for anything less, until I had no choice.

I knew I wanted to go to college, so I put myself through night school to earn my GED. I always loved fashion, so I went to college about 6 months for fashion design. I was 23 and still working as a front desk supervisor/manager at a hotel and working a second job as well on the weekends. This is when I met my first daughter’s father. Soon after, I became pregnant, but also shortly before my daughter was born, I gave up the idea of working in fashion and started doing more clerical administration work. Long story short, things did not turn out with my daughter’s father as I had anticipated. We parted ways and I became a single mother. After a few years I ended up meeting my second daughter’s father, but unfortunately things did not work out with him either. My only choice was to buckle down and raise my girls on my own.

My mother was sad about how things were between us when I was younger. She really worked hard to mend the broken fences between us and tried to be there for me and my daughters. She knew how hard it was to be a single parent so she helped with my girls whenever she could. We became closer than ever. She was my “let’s try a new restaurant” buddy, or fun dessert, or watch a movie and have a slumber party mom now. My girls and I loved hanging out with her. Then in the Spring of 2013, I got the worst news a daughter ever has to hear about her mother…..she is no longer with us and had passed away suddenly.

The pain I felt of losing her was fierce. I tried so hard to grieve the right way and I couldn’t. The strength I needed to be there for my girls was too important. I needed to continue working to keep the roof over our heads and not sink into a depression that I wasn’t sure I’d know how to control. Shortly after, I had even more family members pass away which added to my grieving difficulties.

During this time, things started getting crazy with my first daughter’s father. We went through a horrible court battle over my daughter’s welfare which led me to pay for attorney’s fees rather than my rent. After a two-year battle, things finally got settled in court. Due to all the court and attorney fees, I still lost the roof over our heads. So, at the age of 36, I had one month to find another place to live. To afford daycare, I could only work part-time so I could be on a special program. However, I still managed to find a small condo to rent. The size was not ideal for me and my girls so I kept looking for a bigger place I could afford with more space. I knew my oldest wanted to stay in the same school and I was going to work my tail off to do that for her and find the right home in the same district. I did not want to move them around like I did when I was a child. No matter what I had to face, I always stayed as positive as I could and tried to never let them see any signs of struggle. I never had a lot of family support at all, and I became very private. I did not go out at all and closed myself off to deal with life as every day seemed like a new hurdle. I did, however, always made our time at home fun and provided them with all their needs. I put them first no matter what and always will.

I was starting to lose hope when I could not find a place in the district and began having talks to my daughters about having to switch schools. I was so upset with myself, but I knew I did all I could, and time just was not on our side……. UNTIL I saw this small “for rent” sign one day. It was in a location I would have never thought to look, but it ended up being exactly where I needed to be for my daughters to remain in the district. I did it! This was our new home until I could figure things out. I am so thankful to my landlord for renting to us in my situation. In my eyes, he saved us, and I will forever be grateful to him for taking a chance on us.

Over the past six years I have been trying to stay afloat. I always tried to make something more of myself and put myself through college. During Covid, I used my time wisely and finally finished! I am happy to say that I now have 2 certifications that I achieved despite everything life has thrown at me.

Ten years ago, I heard about Habitat for Humanity and investigated the possibility of applying for homeownership. I didn’t have anyone to help take care of my daughters and did not feel I could dedicate the time needed for sweat equity, so I did not fill out the application.

Now that my girls are older, they can do more for themselves and I finally feel like I can have breaks from time to time. They still definitely keep me busy, but with them being older, I would have time to devote to doing sweat equity hours. My dream was always to buy a home for my family with a backyard so they could run around and have their freedom and privacy. I wanted something to be proud of and the need to own my own home was still in sight. I felt that it was time to try my luck once again and apply for the Habitat Homeowner Program. I am thrilled to say that our family recently was chosen to be a future homeowner! I can now see the light at the end of that dark tunnel whereas before I didn’t think the light existed. I’m overjoyed to be able to partner with Fox Valley Habitat and help other families with their journeys too.

It has been a very long road for me, but I genuinely feel I was put here just at the right time for me to have my dream of homeownership come true. Owning my own home means stability, tears of joy, real laughter, allowing myself to feel my feelings, hope, accomplishment, and knowing it’s ours. I am so proud that I never gave up on my goal! I can’t wait to sit on my back porch, give a big sigh of relief and continue to raise my daughters knowing my biggest battles are finally over.I cannot tell you how overjoyed and excited I am to have such an amazing opportunity present itself for me and my children. AT LAST, the moment I have been waiting for!! When I think about my hard times, it almost takes my breath away, but I have no regrets. It has shaped me into the woman I am today and has taught me what I need to do in hard times. Most of all though, how to help others that have gone through similar circumstances. Being a future Habitat homeowner has shown me what it is like to really be part of an unforgettable, life changing experience. I almost can’t even believe this is happening to us.

Pinch me, is this a dream!

Barbara

I grew up on the east side of Aurora with my older brother in a house that had been passed down through my family. There were a lot of struggles in my early life, but thankfully now my whole family is much closer and healthier.

Since graduating high school, I have been working in the dental field. I started out as a dental assistant and over the last twenty years have climbed the ladder to become a full-time office manager of a dental office.

Years ago, I was living with my then-partner. Unfortunately, that relationship didn’t work out, so I moved into a rental. I’m in a townhouse with my two kids, and although I’ve been living there for four years, the rent goes up dramatically every year and is taking up most of my monthly income. Where I live now feels very temporary, even though I’ve been there for years

My daughter is starting to apply to colleges, and is very excited about going, but I need to be careful to budget the cost for the college applications. I picked up a part-time job at a distribution company to help make ends meet. Work and my kids take up most of my time, but I do like to work out when I can.

My dad read about Habitat for Humanity in the newspaper and called me to encourage me to apply. I didn’t think I would be approved, I thought tons of people were probably applying and I because we lived in a decent townhome. When I called to get more information, the staff at Habitat encouraged me to apply so I attended the next Orientation Meeting. There were not that many people there, this gave me hope that I might actually have a chance.

In February of 2023, I submitted my application. I was overjoyed when they called me a few weeks later to tell me we were accepted into the homeownership program! My kids were home when they called and I told them right away and then called my dad to let him know.

Something I’m looking forward to most is being able to have a vegetable garden in my backyard. After learning about some health problems, I think a lot more about the food I eat and I’m trying to be more natural and organic. Unfortunately, even though eating healthy makes me feel so much better, natural foods are much more expensive. I did find a food stand that is fairly cheap, but I can’t wait to be able to grow my own food someday.

I am so excited to finally have something that will belong to the family. I am ready to make a forever home for my children. It will be fun to have a big backyard for my son, who loves to play soccer, to play in and each of children will have their own rooms. I look forward to not having to ask a landlord if it’s okay before changing or fixing something.

Daisy

I grew up in Aurora, IL in a Habitat for Humanity home. My parents were one of the first homes built by Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity and has always been my happy and safe place.

I am the youngest of four brothers and one sister. I did have other kids around my age in the neighborhood I would play with sometimes, but I mostly kept to myself. It was a very calm and happy childhood.

When I was ready to prepare for higher education, I went through the process mostly on my own. My parents did the best they could to help but they didn’t know any more than I did. I used the career resource center, went to workshops, and started filling out school applications, FAFSA, and scholarship applications. All these efforts meant I got to attend the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign for four amazing years, where I studied Economics as my major and Communications as my minor.

After college, I got what I called my first “big girl job” in the city of Chicago. This was a tough period of time for me because while my parents were proud of me, I didn’t like what I was doing and I wasn’t the regular happy Daisy that I usually am. Now, I’ve been in the Workforce Planning field for a call center at Nicor for about a year now. I have learned a lot in this role and continue to do so every day.

Currently, I am living with my parents, and I feel like I am taking up a lot of their space. I have my room where I sleep, and then I took over their guest room as a storage/office space when we got sent home due to the pandemic. There is hardly any room to walk in that room and I always feel bad for taking over their space. Sometimes, as the youngest sibling, I would feel like I was always in the way and that’s how I feel now living with my parents. Not that it’s my parent’s fault, they always make room for me. I just feel like it’s finally time to give them their space back after they’ve created a loving space for me for so long.

I’ve seen and experienced firsthand the effect that Habitat for Humanity has on people’s lives. I am at that age where I really have to buckle down and start thinking of my future, and what I want in my life. I want a place to call my own. I need a safe space not only for myself but my future family. So, it was an easy choice to apply program after my sister and mother encouraged me to.

After waiting to hear back about my application, I received a call on Valentine’s Day 2023. After saying hi, I remember just hearing something along the lines of “I’d like to let you know you’ve been accepted as a future homeowner with Fox Valley Habitat from Humanity!”. After that everything else being said was all a blur. I immediately called my mom to tell her, then told my sister. Because I was at work, I didn’t cry but I walked around with a big goofy smile on my face for the rest of the day. The second I got into my car after work, the waterworks came. That’s a day I’ll always remember.

I’m so excited about getting a home, but one thing I’m most looking forward to is being able to pull my car in the garage during the winter. I’ve never in my life been able to do that so it’ll be nice to wake up and not have to clean snow off my car. Also, just being able to have my own space to decorate it and make it feel like my own will be so satisfying.

Habitat really sets you up for success when you become a homeowner. They provide you with financial classes so once you get your mortgage you know what to do and how to budget. Being a Habitat Homeowner will provide me with a sense of support and comfort knowing I’ll have a second family to reach out to. Every Habitat for Humanity employee, donor, volunteer, and future homeowner has a kindness and compassion I’ve never seen anywhere else before. This builds a sense of pride to be a small part of something so great, and I always want to pay it forward.

Sabrina & Olivier

Olivier was born in 1994 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Due to the Civil War going on in his country, he was forced to live in a refugee camp with his family. The country was ravaged with destruction and violence. Housing was basically non-existent with families broken apart and most living in overcrowded and dirty camps.

Sabrina was born in 1992 in Burundi. She grew up in a large family and has many siblings still in Africa. In 2015, when she went to visit a cousin in Kampala- a city in Uganda, she ran into Olivier as he was buying supplies to bring back to the camp he lived in. They kept in contact and dated for years until marrying in 2018.

Over the years Olivier prayed to be somewhere better. He wanted to come to the USA, a place not war-torn and with opportunities for a happier life. An agency worked with him to leave his country, and even though it meant he would be apart from his wife for a while he knew it would lead to better lives for them both. He was able to come to the USA and was placed in a two-bedroom apartment with three other men from his country.

He found community with friends in Aurora who were also from his native country. Several had obtained homes with Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity and encouraged him to apply. He was denied the first time he applied because his income was too low. He was determined though, and after working hard and spurred on knowing his wife Sabrina would be coming to the USA soon, he applied again in 2022. This time, he was approved and officially became a part of the Habitat Program.

They live in a small one-bedroom apartment while waiting and working towards their home. They also welcomed their first child in early 2023, and their small apartment is feeling even smaller now. Both Olivier and Sabrina work, but still put in the sweat equity hours on their soon-to-be home. Olivier has learned a lot about construction while volunteering at the Habitat build sites and plans to continue volunteering after they move in.

Sabrina looks forward to her new kitchen. She loves to cook and can’t wait to entertain in her spacious new home. She’s also looking forward to growing her own vegetables in her backyard. With their four-bedroom home, their baby will have plenty of room to play, and Sabrina and Olivier would like to have more children since they will have the space.

Humberto & Mireya

Humberto and Mireya were born and raised in Durango, Mexico. They grew up together and attended the same schools, eventually becoming sweethearts. Life was very hard in Mexico and there were no job opportunities for them. So, at the age of 21, Humberto decided to make a better life for himself and his future wife and migrated to Los Angeles, California. Three months later Mireya, traveled to join Humberto where they were married a short time later in the Catholic Church in 1992. A year after they were married, they had their first son, and their second son was born several years later.

When Humberto arrived in California in 1990, his brothers helped him learn the ways of American life, and helped him get his first job as a dishwasher. This new life was exciting, but much different than the life he left behind in Mexico. He left their family and friends to start a new life in this land of opportunity. There were many foreign things to learn in America and in order to survive they also had to learn how to read and write English.

Humberto and Mireya’s dream of owning a home when they got married was always a goal of theirs and they never lost sight of it. But due to the lack of higher education and job experience, they were just barely getting paid minimum wage. Humberto finally quit his first job to work for better pay and started working at the steel mill for the next 14 years. Mireya went to work at a bridal boutique to help pay the household bills. The family struggled financially over the years to make ends meet and never was able to save enough to buy their first home. Through their faith in Jesus they never gave up hope. Since the cost of living in California was getting more expensive every year, they decided to save some money to make a cross-country move to be closer to their parents and other family members living in Illinois.

In 2006, the family packed up all their belonging and traveled 2000 miles to Aurora, Illinois. They saw this as a new opportunity for a better life and to follow their dreams of having a home.

Humberto and Mireya are currently renting a small home in Montgomery, IL where they have been living for 14 years. Their youngest son and 3-year-old granddaughter currently live with them. Humberto is working at Promet Company as a machine operator and Mireya is a custodian for Oswego School District 308. Jesus was at work in their lives when he placed Mireya at the school, for this is when she met Ana, a co-worker, who had gone through the homeowner program at Habitat and was living in her new home. Ana talked with her a lot about how she applied for a home and urged her to apply as well. She still had doubts and reservations about the program, so Ana invited Mireya to join her for the 2021 Habitat Christmas Party for all the homeowners and friends. Ana introduced her to CEO, Jeff Barrett. During their conversation Mireya remembers these words Jeff said to her, “Miracles do exist, you will get a home if you try.”

A few months later, the family attended an orientation meeting and filled out an application. After their home visit, their application was approved for homeownership in September of 2022.

They are excited to be serving with Habitat for Humanity doing their sweat equity hours. It aligns with the service they presently are doing at their home church of 15 years, St. Nicolas Catholic Church. They are both Christians and proclaim Jesus as their Lord. They enjoy helping and being at service to others in the community. They have done marriage counseling and Humberto has served is a Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus.

They urge all families to apply for the housing program. For 30 years, they have dreamed of being homeowners, and now their dream is coming true. “Miracles exist,” said Mireya.

Jennifer

My name is Jennifer. I was born in Arlington Heights and lived with my parents and my little brother in a small cottage in Cary, IL. My parents were very young when they married which meant life wasn’t always easy. They divorced when I was eight years old and my brother and I moved with my mom to a mobile home park by O’Hare Airport. There were many latch-key kids living there with working parents, my brother and I included. Lots of the kids found ways to get into trouble due to this. After a few years I moved in with my dad and stayed with him up until two weeks before graduation. My step-mom and I didn’t always see eye to eye. I moved back with my mom for a few years while I attended junior college and then finally moved to Carbondale, IL where I attended SIU. After so many years of bouncing around between my parents, I was finally able to establish some roots of my own which made me feel in control of my destiny.

I lived in Carbondale for five years where I obtained a degree in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University. I almost stayed down there permanently, but it was hard finding full time work. I met my husband one night at a live concert and soon fell in love and were married in the fall of 2004.

During my marriage to my husband, we had two children, a daughter and a son. I stayed at home with the kids while my husband worked. When my youngest child started school, I started working part-time. We were financially stable so we decided to buy a house in Batavia that was built in 1875. It was old and needed a lot of repair work but it was home. We lived there for twelve years, I had never lived in one place that long in my whole life. But soon our marriage was on the rocks. The communication between us fell apart and we tried to do marriage counseling, but that didn’t work because my husband was so negative. Things started to disappear in the house, when I questioned my husband he just shrugged it off as nothing. My trust for him started to diminish. One night he came home drunk and pushed me around a bit when I tried to talk with him. Even after that, I was still willing to make our marriage work. But this all ended when my husband did not tell me he filed for divorce until the day after he had done so, such a coward.

Due to the divorce, the children and I were forced to leave our little home in 2016 and find another place for us to live. I knew I could not remain in that home because the cost to fix that old home would be greater than I could afford, so my husband was granted control of the home. This was my childhood repeating itself all over again, but now it was affecting my children. I immediately went into fight or flight mode and had to find a full-time job and find a place to live.

I barely got the chance to use my degree after college, but hoped I could work after the kids started to go to school. I had lost a lot of income growth potential while being a stay at home mom so you can imagine what it was like being a divorced mom of two young kids and no fresh job experience. No one wanted to hire me because so much time had gone by since I graduated from SIU. I had been volunteering as my daughter’s Girl Scout Leader to improve my resume during that time, but that didn’t help. The jobs I did get, paid very little. I was making less than I did before I stayed home with my daughter eight years ago. Since our divorce, I’ve had five jobs.

We are also in our third place since we moved out in 2016. Needless to say, it’s been tough bouncing around so much. Living in rentals is very expensive and yet the quality of what you rent is subpar. So many things need to be fixed and landlords are hesitant to fix things and you still pay big bucks for small apartments. I could have bought my own home for what I have paid in rent the last 6 years. Right now, we are renting a small 2-bedroom apartment on a month to month lease in Batavia, so at any time my landlord can kick us out if he wanted, our rent is $1625 a month. It’s a 2 flat that only has one furnace and we share all utilities which is not easy. My son is happy he has his own room that he shares with Friend, his cat and my 16-year-old daughter shares a bedroom with me. My daughter said, “It’s so cramped, I get so stressed out and feel like I’m trapped at home. It will be nice to have my own room to give me space to relax and wind down alone”.

I’m now an office support specialist at a small woman-owned business in Batavia, where I work full-time. I’m financially doing good right now and making ends meet along with child support and maintenance, but it would be nice to make more money. The child support and maintenance help will be coming to an end soon, probably before we will move into our new Habitat home. I really enjoy my job and being close to home and my children.

In the back of my mind I was always on the look for a better place for us. I heard about Habitat for Humanity so I inquired in 2019. I didn’t think that I would qualify so I just let the idea go. I began working with a Realtor since I was preapproved for a small loan, but I did not find anything in my price range I could afford or that didn’t need so much work. That’s when I thought about Habitat again. I went online and signed up for an informational zoom meeting. After the class, Debbi sent me an application for the housing program. The application had many questions and there was a lot of information to gather. I said to myself, “Nothing ventured is nothing gained,” then dropped off the application at the Habitat office. I still had this heavy feeling on my heart that we may not qualify for the program.

In those few weeks of waiting to hear back from Habitat, I dreamed of providing a solid home for my kids to grow up in. A place for each of us to have our own space to feel comfortable and safe. A place to call home where my kids can come anytime even after they are grown. A place to make happy memories. A space where my kids can play outside and where we can be in tune with nature and grow a garden with vegetable and flowers. A home to decorate with our own colors and have as many pets as we want.

Then, three weeks later, I received a call to do a home visit. Due to Covid, we scheduled to do a Zoom visit. I was so nervous and so were my kids. After it was over Debbi said that I would know one way or another by mail if we were accepted into the program. Those were the longest weeks of my life waiting to hear back. Finally, in September 2022, the long-awaited letter was in my mailbox. I was afraid to open it as it might say that we were not approved. But to my surprise we were accepted into the program. It was such a sigh of relief knowing this was the start of a new journey for me and my children.

Tlueka

Being a young mother of four, and the only daughter of three siblings, I found myself with more responsibility than I could sometimes bear. In 2008, I became the primary caregiver of my father. Through every tribulation, my heart always led the way. Of course, there’s always options, but when it comes to family, there really aren’t too many choices. If changing the past was an option, I would adjust a few things, but not too much as it has made me who I am today.

I started off the year 2020 excited to have a college graduate, a soon to be high school graduate (who was preparing for college), and a new grandson! For the first time in a long time, I felt things were getting better. Little did I know, 2020 would prove not to be my year. After caring for my father since 2008, I could no longer provide the care that he needed. Due to his condition, I was forced to make one of the hardest decisions of my life, allowing him to be placed in a long-term health care facility. Shortly after, the facility went on a full lock down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, preventing me from seeing my father for a year. I constantly beat myself up for that decision, but knew it was no longer a choice, and I had no other options.

After watching my daughter complete 6 years of the Youth Leadership Academy, 4 years of AVID, and being selected as a member to the National Honors Society, I was excited to see her walk down the stage to receive her high school diploma. Little did we know the pandemic would also steal this joy. Because the graduation had to take place outside, and it began to pour rain, she missed out an opportunity to be recognized for all of her dedicated achievements.

During all of this time, I had been renting a 5-bedroom home. With my two oldest children leaving home, my father in a long-term care facility, and my youngest daughter preparing for college, a home of that size was no longer needed. I was searching for a three bedroom; however, the cost was more than the 5-bedroom. In March 2020, my son and I moved to Aurora, in a 2-bedroom apartment. My daughter moved with my mother as she was preparing for college, and my mom had more room than the apartment. She was planning to go off to college, and come home between semesters. She would be two blocks away, and the 2-bedroom apartment would be more affordable for me. Due to the pandemic, she decided to push the date back, and wait a year before going to college. Life then took her in another direction.

In December 2020, I found myself in a near fatal situation. I began to have extreme shortness of breath and decided to go to the emergency room. It was then that I found I had multiple blood clots in both lungs. I was constantly reminded of how lucky I am to be here, and if I didn’t go when I did, I would’ve died in my sleep. In January 2021, while recovering from this condition, I temporarily took in my grandson. I had him from January to the end of February before he was given back to his mother. Because my daughter wasn’t making the best decisions, in July 2021, I had to gain custody of my 2-year-old grandson. The living situation was okay, but not ideal, as my teenage son was now expected to share a room with his toddler nephew.

Shortly after, I found that my space would be changed as well, as a decline in my daughter’s health caused me to regain custody of her. She would share my bedroom with me, alternating between the living room, depending on her mood. Over crowdedness had made my situation a bit difficult, as I began working from home at the start of Covid-19, and have no space of my own.

During this time, Movoto, Zillow, and Trulia became my form of social media. I would spend countless hours looking for homes to rent, or buy. I was close to the end of my lease, and found that renting a larger apartment, or buying a home wasn’t an option for me at this time. The cost for both was extremely too high. I didn’t know what to do besides cry. I wanted to provide my grandson with the stability that he needs, and provide my kids the ability to be comfortable again, while also being comfortable myself. All I could do was cry and pray, because I felt like I was getting nowhere.

Then one day, while trying to cross through Batavia to reach Randall Road, I saw newly constructed homes and a sign that read Habitat for Humanity. Once I made it home and had gotten settled, I went online to the website. There was a short video with the requirements and an email address to request an application. Shortly after I had applied, I was notified and told I would need to complete a Zoom meeting. I completed the Zoom meeting, with little to no confidence that I would be accepted. By the end of the week, I received a call. I was looking for the words to start out as “I’m sorry”, but instead heard “Congratulations’! This moment was breathtaking. I fought through many tears, and a cracking voice, in order to squeeze out a thank you.

Since I am able to have contact with my father again, I usually pick him up from the care facility on Sundays. However, I never bring him to the apartment because of the number of stairs to enter, and the overcrowding. Therefore, we always go to my mom’s house. I look forward to having my parents visit my home, my children having their own space, and a place where they can grow, and somewhere that I can go to for a little me time. I truly want to thank God and the whole Habitat Organization. This opportunity is truly a blessing. Thank you.

Jenna

I found myself growing up faster than I wanted to in 2007. I was a Junior in High School and only 17 years old when I found out I was pregnant. Like other teenagers in my situation, I thought we were in love and that we would last forever, but that was short lived when I told him about my pregnancy and then we broke up. Thankfully, I was a good student and had enough credits to graduate early in March. I gave birth in March and walked down the aisle with my graduating class at Batavia High School in June of 2008.

Jenna’s oldest daughter was born in March of 2008. After numerous pleas to the father of my child for financial support went unanswered, I was forced to work two jobs. I decided to try to get my life back on track and enrolled in cosmetology school when my daughter was 6 months old. I graduated in 2009 and became an Illinois licensed Cosmetologist.

I let my feelings get the best of my heart and started dating my middle school boyfriend six months after the birth of my first daughter. Life with him was not a bed of roses and as time went on, problems with domestic violence started to happen. My life was a roller coaster with him in and out of our lives promising he would get better. I found myself pregnant again, and welcomed my second daughter in September of 2014. Life was miserable with this man and I found it hard to get ahead. I had just enough strength and will to finally end our relationship in 2016.

During this time, I received my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice in 2015 from Waubonsee Community College. I was also working as a server at Chili’s and as a Police Cadet. Since I was not receiving child support from either father, I was forced to live in low-income housing due to only having my income. As a young single mother, I was working so hard to give my daughters a better life.

In 2018, I was finally able to move my daughters into a better neighborhood, so I thought. After time, we continued to have major issues in our apartment, like pipes leaking, no air-conditioner, a small water heater, flooding coming from the outside, windows letting in cold air, electricity problems, baseboard heat not working, and mold issues. The landlord just patches these things, but never really fixes them, or ignores the problems. There were times when my electric bill was over $1000! My only goal has always been to give my daughters a safe home where they can live comfortably and enjoy their childhood. But how can I when I can’t even afford to move to a better place with my income?

I wanted to buy a home for my family, but I did not qualify for a mortgage. I was told over and over again by banks to work very hard to save for a down-payment and build my credit, but having only one income and 3 mouths to feed made it nearly impossible to move forward. I was beginning to feel defeated, like I was a mother who was just letting her children down. I prayed for someone to help me and show me a way to move forward.

I finally got a great full-time job in 2018 at the Northern Illinois Academy, a psychiatric residential treatment facility for juveniles, while also going to Walden University for my bachelor’s degree. I also was able to take on a part-time job at California Pizza Kitchen in Geneva. I loved my jobs and I was starting to save my money. I was feeling very confident in my current situation. I finally graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology, it was a long journey, but I finally finished! But, once again, my heart pulled me into another direction after graduation. I started dating again and in April 2021, I found out I was pregnant with my third child. Then in May, I was knocked for a loop when I found out Northern Illinois Academy was closing and I was laid off in July 2021.

Here I was, 5 months pregnant, losing my full-time job, and I did not have a good relationship with this current guy, what am I going to do! I was completely lost and felt so helpless that I would never be able to give my daughters a better life. But I knew I had to trust God’s plan, so I continued to pick up more hours at California Pizza Kitchen and save until my daughter was born in November 2021. This guy was not in the picture long, he was incarcerated in January 2022, which meant no child support coming in. I continued to pray for God to help me to make better decisions for me and my family. Then one day, someone sent me information about Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity.

I had watched the organization do so much for people around the world growing up, but I never knew that they were right here in my own community. I was told about the homes that they were building in Batavia, so I went to see them. My parents urged me to apply for the program. I never thought I would be chosen, but if I did not try, I would never know. So, I applied. They called me to do a home visit and then called to tell me that we were chosen to be in the program. When my family was chosen to be homeowners, I felt this rush of relief that is hard to explain. I was happy, crying for joy, but overwhelmed of where our journey will take us next. Our prayers had been answered. I had worked so hard for so long to give my daughters the best life possible and now our dream is coming true. I am so excited to take this journey and finally be able to give my daughters a real place to call home, with stability, a neighborhood to grow up in, and to be a part of a new community. This is a life-changing experience and we are so, so grateful! Thank you, Jesus for helping us see the light at the end of this dark tunnel. It will be a hard walk the next few months going back to work full time, having 3 young kids, putting in the sweat equity hours, but, I’ll keep my eyes on the prize-homeownership.

Cristal

Cristal is a single mother of three boys. As a single mom, she is constantly struggling to make ends meet. Cristal has always wanted to become a homeowner, but due to other financial priorities, she thought her situation was preventing this from happening until she found out about the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program. Her long path to achieving her dream of owning a home officially began when her family was accepted into the program in early October of 2020 and although she still has a long journey ahead of her, she is very excited to be able to finally achieve her dream.

Cristal was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was a political refugee that emigrated to the United States from Cuba and her mother was born in Puerto Rico. She grew up with six siblings in a blended family. Her father was incarcerated while Cristal was still at an early age, leaving her mother to raise her family as a single mom. Their family was constantly moving from apartment to apartment and she would have to share rooms with her two younger brothers until she was 14 years old. Cristal then graduated from Hoffman Estates High School, attended Community College for interior design, then started working at a collection agency, where she met, Anthony.

In 2009, Cristal and Anthony decided to move in together and in December of that year, their first son was born. As time progressed, Cristal began to learn about Anthony’s alcohol addiction and other bad habits. While they were attending worship services at Faith World in Bolingbrook, the pastor said they should get married since they had a child. Cristal and Anthony eventually married in November of 2011, but like most women going through these types of situations, she thought she could help make their relationship better if she just worked harder at it. Unfortunately, the title of being married didn’t change much about the relationship. Things were getting so bad and out of control. After their second son was born in 2014, she prayed this would fix things with their marriage, but having another child just made matters worse, so in 2016, Cristal filed for a divorce.

They reconnected after they were divorced and in April of 2020, Cristal gave birth to their third son. This was a very difficult time for the family. Cristal was bed-bound for a few weeks after giving birth and could not take care of her three children. Due to Covid and the safety guidelines that were implemented, her mother was the only one who was able to help her during this time.

Cristal and her sons currently live in a very small single-family rental with their two dogs Siri and Gizmo. One of her goals for her family is to own a home they can grow up in. Due to her financial limitations, this goal seemed unattainable. Her top financial priorities are rent, daycare, car note, and food, but she finds herself just barely getting by. She has been in this cycle since 2009 and her credit hasn’t been the best, so she could never qualify to own a house. Then, while talking with one of her coworkers, they told her about the Habitat for Humanity homeownership program. Cristal was unsure about the program at first because she thought that the program was only for people with disabilities or people with children who have disabilities, she didn’t realize that the homeownership program was for anybody that qualifies.

She decided to check the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity website for their next homeownership orientation meeting and signed up to attend the meeting via Zoom in March of 2020. She submitted her application in June and waited patiently for some word on her application, but due to the pandemic, no one was working in the office to process her application. But finally, in September, Debbi Albright, Director of Operations, called her back to inform her that her application had been approved. Cristal remembers that she was in shock after receiving the call because she thought that she was going to be denied. Cristal started her homeownership process in October and her family was recently chosen to be the recipients of the 2021 Faith Build Home.

As part of her willingness to partner, her family was given 350 sweat equity hours to complete. Cristal has been volunteering at the affiliates ReStore and working at the build sites of other future FVHH homeowners to earn her sweat equity hours. Cristal had never volunteered at any non-profit organizations before, but being one of the Habitat families has inspired her to continue to volunteer even after she is done with her hours. She was very nervous to start volunteering, but as she has gotten to know everyone, she now considers them to be family. She loves the interactions with the customers at the ReStore, because they all want to hear her story and find out more about the organization. She has found that some of them are not aware of what Habitat for Humanity’s mission is. Cristal enjoys being an advocate and a spokesperson for the organization and likes to help correct any misconceptions that customers might have about the organization and inform them of the good that Habitat does.

Much like her kids, Cristal is also very excited about owning her first home. Since Cristal’s first passion was interior design, she is able to live her dream of owning her home and having the power to design it exactly the way she wants to. She has many things on her wish list that she would like to see in the new home. She would like a white house with a teal door, side shutters on the windows, a large porch with a short flight of stairs to resemble a modern farmhouse style. Cristal loves painting and she wants to paint anything she can herself. They would also like a big yard for the kids and dogs to play in. She wants to fill her house with succulents, and have oak and blossom trees in the front yard.

Cristal is extremely thankful for Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity and its contributors for allowing her to become a future homeowner. She would advise anyone who thinks they might qualify to become a homeowner to just apply, because she had no idea how much Habitat for Humanity would change her life and it could help so many others. She also wants everyone who can, to donate or volunteer to the organization, because it truly changes people’s lives. After Cristal receives her house, she wants to continue to help Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity whenever she can because she is eternally grateful for everything the organization has done for her. She feels blessed to be in the position that she is in and feels very inspired when hearing that so many people are helping her to achieve her dreams.

On 12-3-23, we celebrated the home dedication for Cristal and her boys. The ceremony featured prayers, housewarming gifts and presentation of a ceremonial house key. Welcome home Cristal!

Janice & George

Janice’s story starts in Kenya, Africa. Janice grew up in Kenya, and this is where she obtained her high school diploma, as well as began her college career. Kenya is also where she met the love of her life, George. Janice, her three younger sisters, and her mother lived in Kenya, while her father was living in the United States. He had left them to go to medical school, but Janice’s parents wanted their girls to go to high school in Kenya. In December 2013, Janice, her mother and her 3 sisters joined their father in the United States, but that meant that Janice would leave George behind in Kenya.

Janice restarted her college degree at North Central College, where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in chemical microscopy in June 2018. After graduation, Janice started working at BP as a chemist. She also works part-time at RR Donnelly, and in her free time she volunteers at World Relief as an interpreter for refugees that just entered the United States.

The four and a half years that Janice was apart from George were very difficult, but they continued their relationship through texting and video chatting. Once Janice graduated college, she flew to Kenya and married her high school sweetheart. Since getting married, Janice and George have been awaiting the day that George would get approval to move to the United States. If all goes as planned, the two will be reunited for good by January of 2020.

Awaiting her husband’s arrival, Janice knew she would need a home for the two of them—a home that was not also her parent’s home. One of her coworkers at RR Donnelly, Ezechiel, a Fox Valley Habitat homeowner, expressed to Janice the benefits of Habitat and how much Habitat has helped him and his wife, who are also refugees from Africa. Janice was very hesitant at first, but she began research on Habitat. Due to the cost of college, Janice knew it would be very difficult for her to be approved for a mortgage from a traditional bank because of her student loans. There were many things holding Janice back from applying for a Habitat home: her husband still living in Kenya, her student loans, and the general fear of not being accepted. Although discouraged, she decided to send in her application anyway in March 2019.

By the beginning of July, the same year, Janice was signing her partnership agreement with Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. “Excited” was the only word Janice could use to describe how she felt. Janice is excited that she will not have to work three jobs and struggle financially just to afford a mortgage. Janice is excited to have her husband join her, and that they will soon have a place for their future children to grow up. Janice is excited that her and her husband will have a comfortable life. Janice is excited to have her growing family stable in one location to call “home.” Although one of the things Janice explained she was most excited about, is her ability to decorate her own home. With all of these amazing things happening in Janice’s life, she is very grateful and blessed to be able to say that her husband will be joining her soon, and that they will have a home together. After seven years a part, it all is about to be worth it, and Janice could not be more excited.

Janice & George were handed the keys to their new home in Batavia at their dedication ceremony in November 2021.

Abdul

Abdul and his family emigrated from Kabul, Afghanistan to the United States in 2017. Since their arrival to the United States, they welcomed their youngest son. As their family grew in size, they knew the need for a bigger home was a must. Rather than finding a larger apartment to fit their family, they decided to look into homeownership. Their family was unable to afford a traditional bank mortgage so they applied at Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity and were approved.

Abdul was born in 1979, in Kabul, Afghanistan. This is where he studied to become a mechanic and eventually opened up a mechanic shop in Kabul. Abdul worked with the US Military and Afghan Army as a lead mechanic and maintained their cars, trucks, and tanks. Life in Afghanistan was very dangerous because there was a war going on in the country. Every day they were faced with the constant bombings, acts of terror, and constant violence. Abdul feared for his life and the lives of his family. They were able to apply for a Special Immigration Visa at the US embassy in Kabul. Once they were accepted, they all came to the United States and were planted in Aurora through World Relief in February of 2017. He says that moving to the United States was the first step to for his family to start healing. There was much more to offer his family, a better education, more job opportunities, and safer living conditions. Although they miss their families back home in Afghanistan, they are always in contact with one another. Abdul and his wife both believe that this was the best choice for their family and has no regrets.

Abdul’s wife was born in Afghanistan in 1987. This is where she met and married her husband. She said they had a good life, they owned a home, a car, had plenty of work until the war broke out and they lost everything and feared for their lives. She misses her family and friends but likes this new adventure as she has the company of her family. She describes her new life as a huge change in culture, language, food, and people and has no regrets for leaving her country for a better life. She is a stay-at-home mom, taking care of her three kids is a full-time job. Before Covid 19, she was attending regular ESL classes offered by World Relief and misses those times with other people also learning the language.

She describes the place where they currently live as a little small for a family of five, however, she is glad that soon, her family will have a more spacious home with enough space for her kids to play. She is grateful to Habitat for this amazing opportunity. She is also happy because her family is part of this project with Habitat and they have the opportunity of meeting good people who always are willing to help. We asked her what her dream house was and she said, “I would like a house with a lot of rooms, a bedroom for each of our children and one for us. I would like to have a big living room and kitchen, a garage, laundry room, and a backyard where my kids can play.”

When they moved to Aurora, the whole family was place into a two-bedroom apartment. Although the family had a place to live, they hit a couple of obstacles after arriving in the United States. Fitting four people in a two-bedroom apartment was a big challenge in itself, and in November,2017, they welcomed their third child. The need for a bigger place for their family was becoming a big issue. Unable to qualify for a traditional mortgage, a friend of theirs who are Habitat homeowners, recommended he apply for a home in Aurora at Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. They went to an orientation meeting and sent in the application and were approved into the program in September of 2019. Slowly they are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In 2019, Abdul lost his job because the firm he was working for moved out of state. As if this was not enough bad luck, the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 and took a toll on their family, with sickness and loss of income. Abdul eventually found another job late in 2020, and with the pandemic in full effect, it has become harder for him to afford the rent of this small two-bedroom apartment. To make matters worse, January 2021, Abdul was laid off his current job due to the slow economy. Although the Afghanzada family is experiencing a series of unfortunate events, there is saving grace in the hopes to move into a new three-bedroom home with a two-car garage and a much needed yard for the children.

Since September of 2019, the family has been working on doing their sweat equity hours on homes of others. In the process, he has learned a couple of things that will help him when he is officially a homeowner such as learning how to paint, put in drywall, and how to manage money. Due to COVID, he has spent a lot of his sweat equity hours at the brand-new West Aurora ReStore that opened in November. Abdul says that he likes everyone at the ReStore. They are good people and welcoming to him. He says that he will likely stop by after he gets his home and help out whenever he can.

When asked about his most memorable experience, he says he can still recall the day that he received a call from Barb Zegiel, the Funds and Marketing Coordinator, to break the news that they had been accepted to become Habitat homeowners. He says that the whole family was beyond excited and they could not wait to be able to move into their new home. Abdul called this the biggest step to being able to keep his family safe, after living in a country that was plagued with constant violence, this was a massive milestone in their lives. Abdul and his wife want what every parent hopes for, to have a happy, healthy, safe, and educated family. Abdul says that he is excited about the house, but he believes that his kids are the most excited about moving, because they will have their own rooms.

Abdul and his wife have three children. The oldest daughter is 11 years old, born in Afghanistan and is in the fifth grade. She will soon go to middle school and looking forward to the new experiences where she can make new friends. She so excited about moving into their new house because she can finally have her own bedroom. All three children share a bedroom, so the idea of having her own space is something she has always dreamed of. She would like her room to be painted white and turquoise.

The couple also has two sons, ages 9 and 3. The second oldest was also born in Afghanistan. He is currently in the third grade. He said he wants to be a professional soccer player when he grows up. He already plans to paint the walls grey and white and have a loft bed in his room with a desk to do his homework. He also dreams of a big yard so he can play soccer with his dad. He says he wants a Golden Retriever or a German Shepard if his parents let them have a pet. He is beyond excited to move into their new house and he is prepared to deal with everything that comes with their new home. The youngest son is still too young to have any say in the matter but give a few years, and he will have a lot to say about his home.

Abdul’s wife would like to invite anyone to be part of Habitat for Humanity. She also wants people to know that Habitat for Humanity is an organization that changes people’s lives. Anyone can help others to make their dream come true and doors are open for everyone. The biggest misconception the both of them learned was that the houses are not free to anyone who wants one. The truth is that Habitat homeowners have to work harder than average homeowners because they give back to others while working on their homes and the process is similar to buying a regular home.

The whole family wants to thank everyone who has donated or volunteered on their home or on the homes of the other future homeowners. It’s because of others that we are able to get affordable housing. They also urge anyone who is thinking about donating or volunteering to do it because it means more to them than anyone will ever know. The family is very grateful for everything the organization has done for them and they are ecstatic to be able to move into their new home.

Written by:
Mateo Fregoso
Aurora University Marketing Intern
January 2021

Abdul and his family were able to move in and start making memories in their new home in the summer of 2021.

Ezechiel & Yoranda

Ezechiel and Yoranda’s story starts in the countries of Burundi and Tanzania, both countries are in Eastern Africa. Ezechiel was born in the year 1986 in Burundi, Africa. In 1993 his family was chased out of Burundi by a rival tribe, and they found themselves in a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After Ezechiel’s family was tragically killed, he settled in the Mtabila Refugee Camp in Tanzania. He stayed in this camp from the years 1996-2012. Yoranda, Ezechiel’s wife, was born in 1990 in the Gatumba refugee camp. When Yoranda was seven years old, her family moved from the camp that she was born in, to the Mtabila Refugee Camp in Tanzania—the same camp where Ezechiel was living.

Ezechiel described his time in this camp as, “Happy, because I was not involved in the war.” The camp offered schooling for those in it, but it was impossible to leave the camp. Ezechiel explained that if one was to leave the camp and get caught, then they would receive six months in prison. The streets were made of gravel and large rocks, and the air was extremely dusty. After 8 o’clock at night, everyone was ordered to be in their homes. They used cooking oil to fuel their lamps at night, as they did not have any electricity or plumbing. Because the camp was so small, everyone knew each other and became family. It was a small community—everyone knew everyone.

In 2012, both Ezechiel and Yoranda were moved to the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania, patiently awaiting their move to the United States. Ezechiel described the treatment in this camp as “being treated like dirt.” The officials were jealous of those in the camp, as they would be leaving the country to live in the United States. They were ultimately treated like the enemy for the three years they lived there, but it all became worth it in 2015 when they were approved by the High Commissioner for Refugees to come to the United States. Ezechiel said, “It was the best news anyone could have received.” Everyone in the camp was given the option of going to the United States or staying in Africa because the country was now at peace. Ezechiel explained to them that the people who had killed his family knew he was still alive, and that he would also be killed if he returned to Burundi. He was then approved to immigrate to the United States.

Later in 2015, Ezechiel and Yoranda were settled in the US. Although, because they were simply friends before their move, they resided in separate states. Ezechiel found his home in Aurora, Illinois, and Yoranda was with her family in Lansing, Michigan. Ezechiel realized that he wanted to be with Yoranda, so he called her and asked her to be his girlfriend. They married in September 2017 and welcomed a beautiful baby boy in June 2018.

With their growing family, they soon realized that their one-bedroom apartment would no longer suffice. After moving to the United States, Ezechiel was in touch with other immigrants from the same country as him, which is how he met Theo and Odette, who are Fox Valley Habitat homeowners. Theo and Odette explained what Habitat had provided for them, and that they provide affordable housing for those who qualify. Ezechiel and Yoranda asked their families and friends what they knew about Habitat, and they learned that Yoranda’s relatives live in a Habitat home in Buffalo, New York. Ezechiel explained that it seemed like everything was falling into place, and that they were led to Habitat as their place to find somewhere to call home. They attended a homeowner orientation in October 2018. They learned that Habitat seemed like it would be perfect for their family. With their nerves at an all-time high, Ezechiel and Yoranda sent in their application for a home in November 2018.

After their application went through and was approved by the first committee, Julie and Barb from the Fox Valley Habitat office went to do the home visit. Ezechiel and Yoranda explained how nervous they were because of their current living situation. The home visit was a success, and the family was approved for a Habitat home. Barb called the family one morning and shared with them the good news. Ezechiel described this feeling as one of the best ones he had ever felt. Both Ezechiel and Yoranda cried with happiness and celebrated with their son. The thought of becoming homeowners made them speechless. Their son currently does not have room to play, and they both explained that having space for their son to play and grow will be one of the most exciting parts. They are excited for a place to call home, in their new home of the United States. Ezechiel states, “Just working with Habitat families and getting to know each other is a blessing. Thank you, Habitat for Humanity, for making our dream come true.”

Ezechiel and his family have a beautiful place to call home since the summer of 2021 and have added another son to their family!

Elsa

Scary- That is how the Hesed House is described by Elsa’s daughters. Hesed House is a shelter assisting people experiencing homelessness.

So how did Elsa and her daughters end up at the Hesed House?

Elsa described her experience so far as difficult. She had moved many times in attempts to find a sustainable place for her children. She was married and later divorced which was a three year process due to a custody battle.

As the years went by, they continued to find a place to live, settling into one apartment, in which they were evicted as Elsa explained as devastating. During this time, Elsa noticed she had significant chronic pain and got physically ill. She continued to shake these feelings off to stay strong for her family.

It turns out, Elsa was diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that creates auto-antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue in the body, and Fibromyalgia, a disorder that perpetuates musculoskeletal pain.

Despite her serious condition, Elsa had nowhere else to go; she was forced to turn to the Hesed House for 6 months.

“I wanted to leave and live somewhere better.” her oldest daughter explained. “I didn’t feel comfortable there. Everyone was sharing and sleeping in the same area. We would be hungry and the kitchen would be locked up.”

Elsa and her girls laughed at the time they had to use the bathroom and Elsa had forgot her keys to go back to the room, so the alarm went off.

After the few months at the Hesed House, Elsa and her daughters moved into Elsa’s sisters’ house. When asked about how their current living situation is compared to the Hesed House, they said that although they had a place to call their home, there was a similarity in shared spaces and the issue of only having one shared bathroom between nine family members. That’s what led Elsa to continue to look for a better living situation for her family.

After a long day, Elsa was exasperated and turned to the internet in search for other apartments to potentially move into. She had thought back onto her time in a homeless shelter and prayed for help. After browsing for a few minutes, she came across Habitat for Humanity and proceeded to research the organization and found our local affiliate. After thinking on it for half an hour, she picked up the phone and dialed in.

She had set up a meeting for 7 am the next day. The application form was filled out in November 2016, and she was finally approved in August 2017.

The girls faces light up when they talk about how they plan on decorating each room. Elsa said she had Egyptian themes in mind for the family room, and hopefully a Betty Boop theme for her room.

They are a committed family that has focused on reconstructing their lives. In November 2019, they moved into their lovely yellow house, and Elsa has welcomed a son into their family since that time!

Theo & Odette

In 1972, our families were chased out of Burundi, East Africa by a rival tribe, the Tutsi Tribe. Our families moved from Burundi to Rwanda, then from the camp in Rwanda to the Lukole Refugee Camp in Tanzania, East Africa where we settled for a while with our families. Theo was born in 1988 and I was born in 1993 we were both born in the refugee camp in Rwanda before moving to the Lukole camp.

Living at Lukole Camp was very difficult, but we managed with the little we had. We were just happy to be alive. We had to work for every little thing for survival. The place was very dusty with gravel streets with huge rocks. The community was very small with tents pitched very close to each other. Since the community was so small, people got to know each other well. A life with no electricity or indoor plumping is not easy. We used cooking oil for our lamps at night and always had to make sure we had extra oil, matches, and flashlights for emergencies. After eight o’clock it got very dark and everybody was required to be in their homes.

We were given word that we were going to the USA. Our families were moved once again to Kanembwa Camp to wait for the process to move to the United States. There we lived for about 18 months. This place was not a place that we could even make a home. We could not farm or go to school. We were treated like dirt because this tribe did not want us on their land and they were jealous that the people living in this camp were going to live in the United States and they were not. All we could do is sit and wait in anticipation for our turn to come to be sent to the USA. Our families lived in refugee camps for 35 years.

Then in 2007 our families were approved to settle in United States by the United High Commissioner for Refugees. When we found out that we were coming to America, we forgot all of our troubles. It was the best news anybody who lived in Lukole could ever have received. In June of 2007 our families immigrated to the United States. I was 14 years old. I graduated from middle and high school in Buffalo, New York. Theo was 18 when his dad and cousins immigrated to Aurora, Illinois. Our families knew each other in Africa.

Theo and I once again met on Facebook. Our first conversation started when I liked one of Theo’s pictures. We started emailing and chatting with each other, and the romance started from there. We were engaged in August of 2012 and we were married in August of 2013. I continue to go to school at Waubonsee Community College for nursing. My husband is an assistant supervisor at Berry Plastics. He has worked there since 2008. In November of 2014 we had a beautiful daughter and now we are expecting another baby in October 2016.

We presently live in a studio apartment with one bathroom and a shared living room/bedroom space. Everything we had once gathered for a home we had to get rid of because of lack of space. We were in desperate need of a bigger place to live after the birth of our first daughter, but were unable to afford a bigger apartment.

We learned about Habitat for Humanity from other families and friends who live in different states. Almost everybody we know from Africa who has moved to the United States owns a habitat home. They told us that the houses are the right size and very affordable. That’s when we searched for an affiliate in our area and met Debbi Albright. We applied for a home in November of 2014 and with much prayer we hoped that our family would be chosen. We were always waiting with anticipation for the postman to bring us some good news. Then one day in the spring of 2015, Theo went to get the mail and there was a letter from Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. The letter said that we were accepted and would be new future homeowners. Both Theo and I started to cry with happiness and we celebrated and started to plan our new home.

We are very excited to be a part of the Habitat family. We have always wanted a bigger place to call home where our children can grow up. Living in a one bedroom house with everything stacked up on top of each other is dangerous with a toddler in the house. Habitat for Humanity is making our dream come true. Just working with Habitat families and getting to know each other is a blessing. In July of 2016 Barbara called from Habitat to ask me if our family would be free in August to have a groundbreaking for our new house. I was silent for a moment and asked Barbara if she was joking. She said it was no joke and that our new home was going to be located in Aurora and our groundbreaking ceremony would be in August I was so excited that I was screaming and shouting hallelujah!

God promised us a bigger place before we even knew about Habitat for Humanity and He has kept His promise. We thank God for giving us the house this soon because we need it more than ever. God is good! We can’t tell you in words what this means to our family. All we can say is, Thank you Lord!

Theo and Odette have been making beautiful memories in their home since January of 2018. They have also added a son to their family!

Lawella

Lawella is a mother of two, three if you count her dog. She loves baking cookies, doing arts and crafts, collecting socks and making hats to donate to the inner city kids. She is a homeowner, more specifically, a Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity homeowner who still volunteers weekly with the Fox Valley Builder’s Club. She is also a disabled veteran.

Lawella, like many veterans, joined the military for a variety of reasons. The military offered her more than any college or job could: a way out of poverty, a home, an education and the pride of serving her country. And while all veterans’ stories are unique, her story is much like others, leaving and returning home to nothing.

When Lawella graduated high school, she moved to South Carolina with a boyfriend, who was in the military at the time. She received a Secretarial Science Associate’s Degree, but really dreaded working as a secretary. After consulting with her boyfriend, she came to the conclusion that the military had much to offer her, including a way out of a mundane routine and the possibility of making this into a career. In 1985, Lawella enlisted in the Air Force as active-duty personnel where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Administration.

Lawella met her now ex-husband during her four years in active duty. After her four years of service had ended, her husband continued a life devoted to the military while Lawella stayed behind as a military wife to raise their two children. Lawella explains how being a military spouse for 17 years was so difficult. “I was basically a single parent while my husband was deployed for more than six months at a time every year. I raised our children by myself and had to take care of all my family’s physical and emotional needs on my own. We lived in military housing on base and there was always a constant turnover of Air Force families moving in and out. It was so hard to make friends because we were always moving from base to base.” Life had thrown everything at her, including natural disasters, poor housing, and the longing to have a permanent place to belong.

“Growing up in a military family was a very unique experience. Rather than remembering a childhood home, I remember all the people I met, the best restaurants from all the different towns, and being raised to be independent and ready for change at the drop of a hat,” said Lawella’s youngest daughter. “I had to learn from a very young age to say goodbye to good friends, become used to being the new kid in town, and that I shouldn’t expect my bedroom to stay my bedroom for long. My family was one of the few constants in my life. I relied on them to keep me steady when I didn’t have anything else familiar around me.”

In 2013, Lawella’s husband retired from the service and announced that he wanted out of their marriage and walked out. She could no longer live on the military base and she had no money, so she filed for divorce and bankruptcy, it felt like her entire world had collapsed. She looked for housing and apartments but was denied due to her credit. She turned to family, but there wasn’t any room for her and her two daughters anywhere. They were finally offered a place to stay at a family friend’s summer house by the lake, where they stayed for a couple of years. It was a two-bedroom cottage, that lacked proper insulation and was very difficult to keep warm in the brutal Michigan winters. Not the best place to live but a roof over our heads.

While she was working at the Ace Hardware nearby, one of the few stores in a neighboring town, she was introduced to a volunteer who had come in for supplies for Habitat for Humanity. She remembered hearing about Habitat for Humanity many years ago while she worked in a dental office. The dentist’s housekeeper was a Habitat homeowner and talked about the organization.

She was intrigued by what Habitat for Humanity did, so she decided to inquire about volunteering. Since it was the winter they were not working on any homes, so she pushed the idea volunteering with this organization out of her mind.

Two years went by and her oldest daughter graduated from college and moved to Illinois to pursue a teaching career. Lawella wanted to go with her daughter in search of better housing opportunities and decided the family would continue to live together. In 2015, Lawella found a nice apartment, but due to her poor credit history and earlier bankruptcy, her application for an apartment was denied. She had no one else to turn to. So she ultimately broke down and asked her ex-husband to be a co-signer on the lease for her and the children.

Lawella always had a military mindset to buckle down and just get through it, whatever it may be. “You move onto the next stage in life and continue to grind, and its ok to ask for help if you need it.” she said. This is when the memory of Habitat for Humanity came back to her. She called to inquire about the homeownership process and came in to the office to apply. She thought, “I won’t know if I can qualify unless I try.”

After she submitted her application, she heard back from the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity affiliate quite fast. Technically, she reached out to them first. “I honestly didn’t think I would be approved since I was under the impression Habitat for Humanity was for young single moms,” said Lawella.

She laughed as she reminisced about being told she was approved. She could not take the suspense, so she decided to take her fate into her own hands. After getting home one day in December, 2015, she notes it was a few days before Christmas, she called Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity to get any news on her application. She was told they just mailed a letter to her the previous day, but since they had her on the phone, they told her she was approved for a home.

She remembers screaming and crying out of feelings of relief and security. She told herself she would wait until Christmas to tell her two daughters the good news, so to keep her mind busy, she went out for a drive. Out of pure excitement, she quickly dialed the phone to call her daughters and revealed the news, just hours after ending the call with Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity.

That has all changed since she and her daughters have moved into their Habitat home.

“In our community, they sit on their porches, take their trash out, do yard work, exchange cookies at Christmas, and pass each other and say hi,” said Lawella. “I’ve even seen a noticeable difference in the sense of community since a Habitat home has moved into the neighborhood. I’m making permanent friends. I have never done that before.”

This home and her Fox Valley community gave Lawella security and the luxury of building a home that is unique to her. She has established a life with roots connecting to all her neighbors and the Fox Valley community as a whole.

“This house is me. It’s security. It’s a peace of mind for me knowing that my daughters will never be told they have nowhere to live. They will never have to go through the panic of hearing they have no options.”

Lawella and her daughters had their dedication celebration in March of 2018 and Lawella has since remarried.

Connie

Hi, my name is Connie, and this is a glimpse into my life since coming to the United States.

I moved from Mexico to Aurora, Illinois when I was very young. At the time, I had two small daughters, (one who is now in Heaven) and a son.

In Aurora, I found very good people that helped me to obtain items we needed to live like clothes, food, and medicine. They even helped us celebrate holidays by providing Christmas gifts and Easter dinners for my family. We had everything we needed except for a good home. For many years, we were always moving from apartment to apartment, I could never afford adequate living space for us.

One of our earlier encounters was when the four of us all shared a one room apartment, and then the landlord found out and asked us to move out on short notice.

Another time, while I was at work the landlord came around 9:00 PM and threw my children out in the street and locked up the doors of our apartment. My oldest daughter went to the nearest store and used the phone to call me at work. I left work immediately and since I had no car, I had to walk about 30 minutes to get to my children who were cold, scared, and abandoned in the street in the middle of the night.

After that, we rented an apartment in the basement of a house. The agreement was that we shared the kitchen with the people who lived upstairs. On several occasions, the woman upstairs would get upset about something and she would lock the door to the basement so we could not use the kitchen. I would not have access to the kitchen to make food for my family and several times we went to bed hungry.

As time passed, a friend with a kind heart came to me and told me that he had a room for us. He let me live there with my three children. Our lives began to change for the better. I had an opportunity to go to school to study English. I worked in a factory in the morning and studied in the afternoons, always taking my three children with me.

Three years later, I left the hard work at the factory and started working as a teacher’s assistant. Two years later I was blessed with my fourth child and then two years later, my fifth, another son.

I find it hardest to forgive myself after all these years that I did not fight hard enough to have my 2 oldest children finish high school. Instead, they had to quit school to work and help me with the household expenses and childcare.

Over the years we rented many apartments. I even tried a few times to buy a home but was never able to get approved due to low income and mismanagement of my money. I applied for the housing program at Habitat for Humanity many years ago but was denied. I forgot about it and continued renting. My older children grew up moved out on their own and made their own lives. I still had my two youngest sons with me to raise.

I got sick a few years ago and could not live by myself, so my oldest son asked me to come live with him and his family. Then, one morning in April of 2019, I didn’t feel like preparing breakfast at home so I went to have breakfast at a restaurant near the house. After I was done with breakfast, as I was driving home, I don’t know how, but I found myself in front of Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. I went inside and asked for information, they told me that in three days there would be an information meeting for the homeownership program. I attended the orientation and filled out the application in June 2019, after a few months I received a letter telling me that I had been approved. I couldn’t believe it, but it was true! After all these years I was finally going to get a home to call my own.

And that’s how it started. With the help of Debbi, Julie, and Barb, I began to work on my sweat equity hours to complete the requirements of the program. In December of 2019, we attended a home dedication for the Faith Build home for the Woods family. There were about 60 people celebrating the completion of the home and during the program, they surprised me and my family by announcing to everyone that I would be the next homeowner to get a Faith Build home for 2020 and that my house would be built in Aurora. And now here I am, my house is finished and my long-lived dreams are coming true thanks to Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, Thrivent and all the area churches who have given of their prayers, time and money. Everyone believed in me and are giving me the opportunity to have my own home.

Although I will be retiring soon, it’s never too late to accomplish your dreams. Thanks to my loving children for their support and dedication and pushing me to do better. Thanks to God, not even Covid 19 can bring us down since we are survivors. We just have to have faith and hope to keep the dream alive.

Connie moved into her home in December of 2020. When asked how everything is going since moving in, she replies with wonderful, I love it!

Andrea

Andrea embodies the definition of “strength” as she has continued to stay strong for herself and her two sons during some of the most difficult and painful moments. From fighting through a violent relationship and getting herself on her own two feet, she has proven that she is capable to do anything she sets her mind to.

Andrea is a single mother of two sons born a year and a day apart.

Like many victims of abuse, Andrea’s story is powerful and intense. From a picture perfect beginning to restraining orders for protection of her family, Andrea has worked tirelessly to provide for her and her two sons.

Andrea would describe the beginning of that relationship as something strong, something great. As time had gone on, day after day, she saw a mood change in her partner and she began to be on the receiving end of his anger. During her time in a domestic violence relationship, she was battered and abused before, during and after her first pregnancy. She has experienced infidelity and heartbreak, but still held on to a hope of a family. She was gas-lighted time and time again.

Andrea’s partner was in and out of jobs through the entirety of their relationship, which made the financial situation a touchy subject, only triggering Andrea and her partner. With a baby on the way, she urged him to help provide for the future. As the financial situation tightened and worsened, Andrea fell into depression.

Andrea was rushed to the hospital for an emergency C-section, the scariest moments of her life, one that she went through alone. She begged her partner to come and be with her, but he made excuses each and every time. Fortunately, she delivered a healthy baby boy and Andrea decided to give her son her name.

As a punishment of betrayal – refusing the tradition of paternal last names – her partner would continue to cheat and abuse Andrea. In his eyes the baby was not his, he neglected any care for his oldest son. Andrea fell into a trap of feeling like she deserved this punishment—that she brought it upon her son.

She found out she was pregnant again shortly after. Andrea believed this could be a second chance to put their past behind them and move on as a complete family. Her partner continued to go without a job and stayed out all night, and their bills started to be late. Her credit dipped low because everything was in her name.

Andrea continued to rough it out until her second delivery. She started to stand up for herself and her family. She demanded respect and financial stability, and she took her two babies and left. He promised to do better for their family, so she gave him one last chance that continued to destruct her family. The final straw came with two incidents where she was to the point of death – twice in one week at the hands of her partner. Enough was enough.

She decided she needed to do better by her family. She immediately fled to Mutual Ground, a safe haven for victims of sexual and domestic abuse. One of the hardest decisions she would ever have to make, but a decision she looks back at in pride and strength. Andrea remembers lying in bed with her children that night and whispering they were finally safe.

Habitat for Humanity is a second chance for Andrea and her two boys. She is recovering from abuse and manipulation, while repairing her financial situation to be able to provide for two young children. One of the biggest concerns for Andrea was her own personal insecurity of feeling like she cannot do anything by herself – a byproduct of abuse. Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity has helped and is continuing to help Andrea find her stability within herself. And while she was in a short term safe space like Mutual Ground, she needed a long term solution that would prove to be beneficial to her children’s development and provide a thriving environment.

Since Andrea was accepted into the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity Program, the family has moved from Mutual Ground to her parent’s home while they wait for their home to be built. Andrea has become more independent and her main focus is providing a stable and loving environment for her children. They all sleep in one bedroom which is very cluttered and cramped, but they are safe and she is regaining confidence that she can provide for her sons on her own.

Andrea’s oldest son loves reading and playing with his trains, while the youngest enjoys his toy trucks and loves to play outside. Andrea can’t wait for the day to come when they will have a house and a yard to call home.

Andrea’s family has been chosen to receive the 2019 Faith Build Thrivent Home. This is our affiliate’s third Faith Build Home with Thrivent Financial. Thrivent awarded Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity $105,000 in matching funds this year for the Faith Build. We have 30 area churches participating in this build along with Thrivent Financial.

I asked Andrea, “What does getting a house from Habitat for Humanity mean to your family?” She answered, “In one word it means everything. It is a fresh start. It will be a solid foundation where my boys can grow and become men and a place where I can feel safe and secure. It is also something I did on my own as a woman and a mother. The father of my children always brought me down, telling me I would never amount to anything; I was worthless and would never accomplish anything on my own without him. Now I am a provider and a fighter with a built in family support system. I know all the Habitat for Humanity homeowners will be there for me, cheering and supporting my family through the whole journey. I feel so accepted in our community and I am so grateful for all our partnerships. I love this organization I will be there to help in any way I can for the rest of my life. This experience has changed our lives forever. I am so grateful.”

Andrea and her boys have been in their home since December of 2019 and have really been thriving in all aspects!

Carmen

My name is Carmen and I was born and raised in Aurora, Illinois. I have two daughters that enjoy reading books, drawing comic strips, playing outside, and riding bikes.

A little bit about myself: at the age of 15, while I was a student at East Aurora High School, I started taking college credit courses off-campus at Waubonsee Community College. I earned my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate by the age of 16. Over the years, I saved and stretched every penny I could and I continued taking college classes at Waubonsee Community College. I earned my Phlebotomy Certificate and completed my pre-requisites for Nursing. Fast forward 11 years later, I am currently employed at Rush-Copley Medical Center as the Center Secretary/PCT of the Day Surgery unit. I enjoy my role in the hospital and I love to interact with our community.

In March of 2016, my daughters and I had to move back in with my parents due to financial hardships. The girls and I sleep in the unfinished basement of my parent’s home. The living conditions in the basement are not ideal and the temperature is unstable. If it rains, this does cause the basement to flood due to not having a sump pump installed. All 3 of us suffer from allergies and they have been severe this year due to our living arrangements.

Before Habitat for Humanity, we moved 7 different times. My daughters had to adjust to new schools and make new friends over and over again. At times, these changes were really hard on them. I quickly realized that the girls were getting older and they really needed some stability. My friend Rubi encouraged me to reapply a 2nd time for Habitat for Humanity. After a week of her encouragement, I finally reapplied and got accepted within a few days!

Now that we are a part of Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity and we are the family for the Faith Build of 2018, my daughters and I sit and talk for hours about our future home all the time. We discuss the potential that this house will bring to our family. It will bring them a stable home to call their own and grow up in. The girls are super excited to finally have their own bedrooms. They dream about the day they can play in their backyard and ride their bikes up and down the sidewalk. They jump in excitement because they know that we will live just down the street for grandma and grandpa, as we are going to build our home on the same street I grew up on!

My experience with Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity has been extremely positive and uplifting all around. I meet new volunteers every Saturday that we go out to work on the homes and they have left such a great impression on me. To see firsthand how giving our volunteers are and how hard they work while on the work sites is a feeling that words cannot begin to describe. They take time out of their busy week to come out and help us build homes. The Habitat families have become my 2nd family, we work together every week and we work hard. We do things most of us thought we’d never be able to do, such as putting walls together that will frame a house, insulating the house, we put up siding, we hammer in countless nails…at this point, we can basically call ourselves construction experts! The support that the Fox Valley Habitat staff provides myself and the families is never-ending. They are extremely supportive; they motivate you to do better and be better. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart that is involved with Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. The generosity you all provide is what makes this dream possible. Forever, thank you!

Carmen and her daughters were handed the keys to their new home at a dedication ceremony in December of 2018. They have celebrated many milestones and have made some very precious memories since then.

Rubi

Rubi’s story is unlike our other homeowners. She is the pure definition of what it means to love and be a part of a family, and we are happy to have her as a part of our Habitat family.

Rubi is unlike all of our other homeowners because Rubi grew up in a Habitat home, and she is now a second-generation homeowner. She was living in her parent’s home with her husband and their two daughters. The home was not meant for that many people, and they were essentially living on top of each other. When Rubi’s husband was deported in the summer of 2014, she decided it was time to move out of her parent’s home. Rubi was denied of a loan to get a trailer home for her and her daughters because of her credit and school loans, and she felt like she was back at square one. Rubi’s mom suggested that she apply for a Habitat home, and she was very apprehensive about that because Rubi feared getting denied again.

In September of 2014, Rubi decided to send in her application for a Fox Valley Habitat home. In November of the same year, two members from the office went to do Rubi’s home visit. Upon applying Rubi knew that all homeowners are required to take a Financial Peace University course. There was a new session starting January 2015, so she decided to enroll despite not knowing if she was approved for a home yet. She figured that even if she was denied, the class would still be beneficial.

It was not until July 2015 that Rubi got a letter in the mail from Habitat. Due to her already being in the Habitat family because of her mother, she assumed it was just a birthday card from the office. She had not heard anything in eight months, so she assumed she did not get approved for a home. To Rubi’s surprise, she read the word “Congratulations” at the top of the letter, and immediately had tears streaming down her face. She was finally going to have a home.

In July of 2016, Rubi and her daughters were told which house was going to be hers. Jeff, Fox Valley Habitat’s CEO, explained the floor plan. Rubi recalls the moment her daughters were told they were going to have two toilets, and her youngest daughter burst with joy. Rubi was also informed that her home was going to be the Faith Build home; a home built based on the donations of local churches and other faith centered organizations. In October of 2016, Rubi met the churches that sponsored her home and they broke ground on construction.

The real building of her home began in May 2017, and Rubi was there close to every weekend helping to build her home. She loved being able to see every wall put up, but she explained that watching the installation of her front wall was the most emotional. This was the wall that faces the street, the wall that had the windows, and Rubi reminisced, “That’s my front door. That’s where my Christmas tree is going to be.”

Rubi got the keys to her home right before Christmas 2017, on the day of her daughter’s 7th birthday. That night they celebrated the birthday and their new home with cake and pizza along with the company of another homeowner and her daughters. Rubi and her daughters spent their first night in their home on New Years Eve and rang in 2018 in their new home.

2018 was a big year for Rubi and her girls. This was the first year for everything. Since moving into their home, they have become more active in church. Before Habitat, Rubi was never really a “church person,” she was Catholic, but not active in any church. Rubi said, “Being the faith build gave me faith again. God wanted my family to be the faith build because he wanted me to go back to church and continue my faith and grow my girl’s faith.” In April Rubi was confirmed in her church, her daughters attend confirmation class every Friday and are going to have their first communion in May 2020, and they all attend church together every Sunday.

In August 2018 her daughters started at a new school. Both of the girls are thriving in their new school. Her oldest daughter who used to struggle in school is now on honor role, has developed stronger social skills, and is a patrol at school. Her youngest daughter is on high honor role and her test scores are above the district and is known as a “role model kid” who gets taken out of class and moved a grade up for an hour every day to challenge herself. Both daughters are now active in cheerleading and 100-mile club.

Rubi also had substantial growth after moving into her home. She has lost 50 pounds and loves cooking meals for her and her family. Her husband was reunited with them in September 2019 and since they were originally married at a court house, they planned a church wedding and celebrated the love they share in September 2020.

Rubi has grown so much since moving into her home, and even before moving in she was extremely active with the Fox Valley affiliate. Rubi takes so much pride in her home and has grown immensely with her daughters. As time goes on, there will be many more accomplishments and celebrations coming along with her daughters and the upcoming wedding. Rubi has proven that faith is what she needs to get through, and that is what she plans to continue to rely on.