A New Home for the Holidays

Keisha Smithers was 16 years old when she began volunteering at Hanover Habitat for Humanity.  She worked every Saturday, and to this day still remembers how to install windows.  The home she worked on was very special: it was for her and her mother.  At the time, Keisha and her mom had been living in a house with no running water for over six years.  Moving into their new Habitat home was like a dream come true in ways both big and small.  In particular, Keisha recalls that their new home finally made her feel comfortable enough to invite friends over to spend the night.

Keisha Smithers was 16 years old when she began volunteering at Hanover Habitat for Humanity.  She worked every Saturday, and to this day still remembers how to install windows.  The home she worked on was very special: it was for her and her mother.  At the time, Keisha and her mom had been living in a house with no running water for over six years.  Moving into their new Habitat home was like a dream come true in ways both big and small.  In particular, Keisha recalls that their new home finally made her feel comfortable enough to invite friends over to spend the night.

Keisha helping to build a home for another Habitat family during Women Build!

    
               Keisha's two beautiful children

When Keisha was 21, she began working at The Hanover Adult Center, a day support program for adults with intellectual disabilities.  She has been employed there for ten years, and is currently a Coordinator for the Linking Lives Program.  While Keisha's work is very rewarding, she is a single mother with two small children, and her salary is not sufficient to qualify her for a conventional home loan.

That's when Hanover Habitat for Humanity entered into Keisha's life for the second time!

After reading a newspaper article about some recent Hanover Habitat Partner Families and recalling that her own mother was able to afford a Habitat home, Keisha decided to apply for the program herself.  She's been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the process has gone.  Connie Alexander, Hanover Habitat's Family Services Coordinator, notes that "Keisha's application process was shorter than most due to her diligence in maintaining good credit.  For example, she has some medical bills that are not completely covered by her heath insurance.  Keisha calls the doctor or hospital as soon as she gets these bills and makes arrangements to pay them a specified amount each month. She also sets a goal for herself to exceed the amount of this payment so that she can pay the debt off faster.  Her responsible nature, work ethic, and integrity made her an ideal Partner Family."

Keisha's children attend a daycare center right across the street from their new home.  "They have a great view from the playground of our home and have gotten to see it being built from the ground up! They have also helped out by doing small chores on the worksite." Keisha says her children are also really excited that their home is close to the railroad tracks because they love watching the trains go by.

Keisha's completed home, with friends and family gathered on the porch for the dedication ceremony

Keisha really appreciates all of the volunteers that she has worked with on the construction of her home. Everyone was so nice, and I enjoyed getting to meet new people who gave their time to help give me a hand up."  Keisha and her children were thrilled to celebrate their first Christmas in their new home this past December!