Perseverance is the key to Jennifer’s story. 

As a mother of three boys and two girls, it hasn’t been easy for Jennifer to make ends meet. Managing the never-ending expenses and busy schedules of a six-person family has meant making huge sacrifices, such as putting good living conditions on the back-burner. Currently, Jennifer and her five children live in an old, three-bedroom house that the family has far outgrown.

In 2014, Jennifer decided that it was time to make a change to their housing situation and applied to be apart of the Habitat for Humanity program. But, due to a low income, she was denied approval. “It was a little frustrating at first, but it did make me more determined to reapply,” Jennifer admitted.

Jennifer used the rejection as fuel to work harder and apply again. She went to school to get a second degree and was able to increase her income. 

This time, when she applied, she was accepted within a few months.  

“It’s been a struggle trying to work a full-time job, be a mother to five children and put in the Sweat Equity hours that I need,” says Jennifer. “But doing the Sweat Equity hours gives you pride in working hard for something that you want, and it means more to you because you worked hard to achieve it.”

Jennifer knows that all of the hard work and dedication she is putting towards providing a suitable lifestyle for her family will pay dividends in the future. Without that perseverance, she wouldn’t be where she is today. 

“It means everything to me to be able to have my own home for my children and I. Habitat is a great program and they’ve helped a lot of people in the community become homeowners that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, myself included.”

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