The Timaul Family Receives A Brush With Kindness

The Timaul family of three has lived in their North East Minneapolis home for nearly three years. Tilkiewattie is a single mom from Guyana, with a daughter studying marketing at St. Olaf College, and her son in his senior year of high school.

Before owning a home, the Timauls lived in apartment complexes where the rent kept increasing and living quarters were cramped. Tilkiewattie decided to buy a home to give her family some financial stability and a comfortable living environment, where the family would have space to cook Guyanese food and watch movies together.

Earlier this year, the Timaul's house was broken into; thieves damaged the front door and stole valuables from the home. Between the expenses of a child in college, house payments, and the daily costs of raising a family all on a single income, Tilkiewattie was unsure how she was going to find the money to replace the front door.

After hearing about the incident, Tilkiewattie’s neighbor told her about Habitat's A Brush With Kindness program. Once she was accepted into the program, the A Brush With Kindness crew was not only able to replace Tilkiewattie’s front door; they were also able to provide new paint to make her new house feel more like a home for her and her children. Tilkiewattie is relieved to once again feel safe in her home and hopes to pass it on to her children one day.