Providing her daughter with a comfortable, safe home to be proud of: this was Christie’s key motivation when she applied to be a Habitat for Humanity Homeowner.
Renting and being on a single income has meant multiple moves in recent years for Christie and Veda (14), and there are countless maintenance issues with the home they currently share. Christie says it’s “very cramped and not conducive to practicing our hobbies or having guests over.” For instance, their kitchen, which can only fit one person at a time, is not large enough for Christie to teach Veda cooking and baking skills, and they are in urgent need of more space for Veda’s homeschooling.
Christie was “overjoyed and relieved” to learn that she and Veda have been selected to be Habitat Homeowners. “Having secure, affordable housing is a blessing and one that I believe everyone should have access to,” says Christie. “The ability to rest and nest in a way we never had will be a huge stress relief… I am so grateful to Habitat for Humanity, staff, their sponsors, and the many volunteers who made this possible for my family.”
Presently, Christie volunteers at Meals on the Ground and the Duncan ReStore, while Veda is doing volunteer work for a Cowichan youth gardening project. Christie is positive that the stability as a Habitat Homeowner will “free up some energetic space and allow us to contribute to the community in a more meaningful way.” She looks forward to taking pride in her home: “It allows me to feel empowered and to provide well for my family.”