Leola loves to spend time with her family. With five siblings, four grandchildren, and two adult children all mostly living in the area, she gets her fill of family time. “We love to cook and go to the park together. It’ll be nice to have my own kitchen and all of the common outdoor space to spend time with them in,” she says about spending time with her grandchildren. She can’t wait to move into her new Habitat home and have all her family over to visit.

She currently lives with some relatives in an older family home. The house has wear and tear which is starting to make it unsafe. She also has to share most living spaces and has no personal space to call her own. After hearing about Habitat and the senior homeownership program from a friend, she applied to “see what would happen” and has been excited about the process since acceptance. 

“It was now or never with owning my own home. This is a great opportunity for me and I wouldn’t have had a chance without Habitat,” says Leola. “I’m already thinking about what I’m going to make for Christmas dinner next year!”