| Habitat Homeowner finds sense of peace in Woodbury home |
|
|
|
|
For six long years, Jennifer Kenny-Hendry lived with her three small children in the basement of her father’s house—surrounded by other peoples’ stuff. The windows were fastened shut with silicone. At one point, there were nine people living in the house. Sharing the kitchen upstairs with the rest of the family was total chaos. Life was loud; Jennifer felt separated from everything. “I couldn’t even parent the way I wanted to.” It was like slowly suffocating; something had to change. She remembers the phone call from Habitat’s family selection committee informing her that she had been selected to buy a house. “It’s a three-bedroom town home in Woodbury,” the committee member said, “I hope that’s all right.” Jennifer laughs when she tells the story. “I was thinking, are you kidding me? I hope that’s all right? I’m living in a 25’ by 12’ room. Yeah, I think I can handle a three-bedroom in Woodbury.” From the very beginning, she shared the experience of building their home with her kids, bringing them onsite often to witness the progress. She used all her vacation time and weekends to complete her sweat equity, becoming more and more energized as the interior painting began—almost done! On dedication day, she stood beside the five other families moving into the Habitat complex, took a deep breath and thought, “It’s real.” Finally, a deep breath—something that came rarely in the past. Moving to a 1400 square foot space has allowed the young family to stretch its arms and flourish. Aboveground, as if the entire world were opening up, Jennifer received a scholarship to St. Kate’s Weekend College to work on a degree in accounting. Trevor, her son, is thriving at one of Woodbury’s community schools. Jennifer loves her rural view. The kids love the city’s trails and parks; they get to sample the ethnic foods of their Habitat neighbors. And for the first time, they’ve welcomed a kitten into their lives. “Now that we’re in our home, our family is finally a family,” Jennifer says. “It has brought us together, taught us what it means to really be there for each other. At night, we have dinner together and actually talk about the day. I feel that I’ve been liberated, that I’m really a mom.”
“I stand in the kitchen making dinner, can see my children on the living room floor, putting together puzzles or watching television, and I can’t believe it.” She pauses for an instant and takes another deep breath. “It’s more than I can put into words; you just have to see it.” |
