“I will have a door to my bedroom!” That was the response when we asked Kindra what she was most excited about in owning her own home. A bedroom door is not that remarkable to most of us, but when you have spent the last three years without a door, it would feel pretty incredible.
When Johnathan and Kindra first applied for the Habitat homebuyer program, they had five children living in their home. They have three children of their own, but they had taken in the children of a family member who was struggling as well. In order to care for the additional children and the requirements of the foster program, Johnathan and Kindra ended up in the dining room with a curtain instead of a door.
They needed something more permanent for their children and they know a couple of the families who live in Parrott’s Ferry Village who encouraged them to apply. They knew that owning their own home would give them endless possibilities and so they embarked on this two-year process of homeownership with Habitat.
Over the course of their process, they were able to learn a lot. They learned about money management and how to take care of their home. They were able to be a part of the building process, signing the studs of their home when it was just framing, and painting the walls, trim, and doors as it reached completion.
Before they were ready to move in, the children they were caring for were able to return to their mother, so Johnathan and Kindra are back to being a family of 5. They are no less excited about owning their own home. This home means that their “kids can play outside without them worrying about them getting run over or taken. It means having their own bathroom.” And most of all, it means having a bedroom door that truly belongs to them.
