Habitat for Humanity Helps Mother and Family Build New Hope

It's a win-win-win story going on right now for the family of Damaris, the City of New Hope, and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. It started very differently a few years ago, with a house sitting empty because of a foreclosure and slowly falling into disrepair. At that time, Damaris and her two young children, Sarah and Joshua, were living in a one-bedroom apartment that had water damage.

The City of New Hope decided to sell the home to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in March 2013. Hundreds of volunteers, many from churches in the area, made donations and helped rehab the home over the summer. Damaris worked right alongside them, putting in hundreds of sweat equity hours doing everything from installing drywall to laying sod. At the same time, Damaris was working full time as a personal caregiver, taking nursing classes part time and completing Habitat’s required homeownership training courses.

Now it’s all paying off. Damaris signed her Habitat mortgage in December. Her payments to Habitat are now helping build homes for more families to buy. She’ll complete her nursing degree this spring. Sarah and Joshua say they feel like royalty in their safe, decent new home. Damaris loves that they’re close to their church and that she knows where her children will be going to school every year now. Housing stability is closely linked to success in school.

New Hope and the neighborhood are also benefiting because Damaris’ home is no longer vacant and, like every Habitat homeowner, she will be paying property taxes.

Right now Twin Cities Habitat has more than 200 qualified, hardworking families hoping to have the same chance Damaris has been given. Be a part of building a family’s dreams by donating today or visiting www.tchabitat.org for volunteer opportunities.