Spring is here, but I’m more excited about the fact that I’ve now moved into my own home. We received our keys on April 25th, surrounded by the amazing supporters and volunteers that make up this tremendous organization. It’s a dream that I never thought would become a reality for us. Habitat has changed everything.
My son Jack is eight, and we’re totally on our own here in Ottawa. We’ve had to move a lot in Jack’s lifetime. In one apartment, we ended up living with an insect infestation for six months before we were forced to move because of the landlord’s neglect. Right now, my rent costs 60% of my income and the landlord wants to increase it by nearly 5% this year. I used to wake up every morning terrified that we were one financial disaster away from losing our home – until I discovered Habitat.
I heard about Habitat through a co-worker and decided to take a leap of faith and apply. I still can’t believe I’m going to own a home. All those hopes I had for my son are now possible, and it’s thanks to the generosity of Habitat donors and volunteers. I hope that you will consider supporting Habitat Greater Ottawa this spring, so that they can continue to help more families like mine.
I’m so excited that Jack will get to grow up in a community of Habitat families, that I can let him go outside and play with all the other kids knowing he is in a safe neighborhood. My dream of sending Jack to university is actually going to become a reality, and maybe we can even go on our first trip. I want him to have different experiences and see life from different cultural perspectives. And I hope you can see from my story that your investment in Habitat is making such an impact on people’s lives. This isn’t just a temporary fix – a Habitat home is absolutely life changing.
Habitat Greater Ottawa’s been building homes in Ottawa for 25 years, and the need is so great in our city that they are going to start building more homes than ever before by doubling their capacity. By the end of this year, I’ll be sharing a new community with 15 other families. Families who just need that help to get started. We’ve all worked so hard for this, and I will never forget the tireless effort and dedication that went into building a safe haven for Jack and I.
Thank you so much for your support,
Rebecca
Habitat Homeowner
Your generous support will help families, like Rebecca and her son Jack, build a safe and decent place to call home. Donate to Habitat Greater Ottawa this spring, or consider supporting all year round by becoming a monthly donor.