Read about our partner families from the last fiscal year!

The Herbert Family

Our Partner Families are so special to us. Read their stories, in their own words, and get to know them. These are just a few of the amazing people with whom we work.

---

THE BURT FAMILY

          

I would like to say what a pleasure it has been. We are the Burt family. I am a single mother of two, Breonna who is 16, and Darrell who is 21. I heard about Habitat for Humanity from my co-worker. She walked up to my desk and started telling me about this program that her friend told her about and how they help first time home buyers. I asked her for the phone number and I called Deb and set up an appointment to come to the next orientation. Once I was there, I thought this sounds very interesting.
I filled out the needed paper work and started my hours and the next thing I know I was accepted. When I got the call from Deb I was at work and starting crying. All I could say was Woohoo!
We currently live in a two bedroom townhouse and we are in need of a three bedroom. The water pressure is low, and we also need more closet space. I have neighbors that will park on an angle and the way they pull in is the way they leave the car, so when they get out they hit my door leaving dents. Once I’m in my new home I will not have to worry about that any more. I will have a back yard so my granddaughter can play in instead of playing in the parking area or on the side walk. This is wonderful.
My experience with Harford Habitat has been wonderful. I have met so many new people and some are in the shoes I’m in. One of the ladies I met through the program is wonderful, we have gotten to know each other during this process and I love her already. We do not have any family in Baltimore that I know of but I have gained partner family through Harford Habitat. I tell everyone about this program, because it has been so wonderful to me and my family. Being a homeowner is finally going to happen for me, and I give thanks to my co-worker and Harford Habitat.
God bless each and every one of you and continue to do what you do. God is blessing you and you are helping others. Words can not fully tell you what this means to my family and I. Once again thank you for everything.
The Burt Family

---

THE VAZQUEZ FAMILY

We came to this country in search of better job opportunities for my husband and indeed God provided a job in a short time. We know we've been blessed by God once more when Harford Habitat (Deb Ciresi that certainly has been an angel for my family) notified us that we were elected to get our own house. It will really be much more comfortable for me to enter and leave my house now. Physical discomfort and distress that causes me up and down the stairs to access the apartment in which we live that is on the third floor, often forced me to stay inside and let others do things for me. My health condition involving problems with my back and arthritis will not let me move around normally, but I certainly know that with the help of God who has been pleased to give us this house, my condition of life will improve. We will be eternally grateful to God first and then all of Harford Habitat staff who have not made any differences with us though we are from another country and we have language barriers, we must say that everyone has been more than kind with our family. It has been a rewarding experience to work hand in hand with you. God bless you always for such a noble work you are doing.
Arnaldo & Petra Vazquez

---

THE YORK FAMILY

Our family consists of Dan, age 28, Katie (Kat), age 24, and Samara, age 2. Before moving into our home, we lived in one room in the basement of Dan’s parents’ home and the three of us slept on a futon . With the current state of the economy, we never thought we could own our own home. Harford Habitat is making our dream of owning a home a reality. We cannot thank Harford Habitat enough for all they have done for us, and are truly grateful for everything.
Since becoming a partner family with Habitat for Humanity, we have been able to meet many people and learn many new things. It is a great feeling to have people who were strangers just months ago become friends. We have learned the basics of tiling, rough framing, and roofing, just to name a few skills.

We look forward to taking our daughter to the park right up the street from our new home. Because we lived in a small room in someone else’s house, we rarely entertain family or friends. In our new home, we look forward to hosting family events such as an open house at Christmas.
Thank you Habitat!!

---

THE HERBERT FAMILY

After 7 months of dedicating my days off from work to volunteering, I have completed my sweat equity hours for Harford Habitat for Humanity and the home that my son and I will be living in within the next 90 days. Since being accepted as a partner family, the journey has felt like a dream and I am just now accepting the significant change and peace of mind this will bring, not only to my life, but more importantly to the life of my son, Jesse.

While I am thrilled to become a homeowner, my inspiration for pursuing and completing this program through Habitat is to provide a home for Jesse. Jesse was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect which required open heart surgery at the age of 6 months. Since his birth, we have seen a never ending array of Doctors, Therapists and Specialists and will continue on with a core team of health care professionals to address his specific needs. As with anyone, this caused substantial financial strife within my household. Jesse and I have been displaced several times in the attempt to find a stable and safe place that I could afford as his sole provider. In 2007, after providing hospice care at home, I lost my mom to cancer which only added to the emotional and financial struggles. She had always been my main source of support throughout my life and her loss was devastating. Originally, I had contacted Habitat during her illness, however, I learned that the program would take a great deal more time that what I had. After she passed, I contacted Home Partnership and began my long road to financial recovery. Kim Cowie was instrumental in helping me to understand and repair my credit history which had suffered greatly from the circumstances.

While every parent strives to give their child a loving and safe home, there are additional factors to be considered when you are the parent of a child with special needs. “Community” becomes much more than a word or a nebulous concept. “Community” is the people you hope and pray will embrace your child with kindness; people who will give him the opportunity to share his gifts and grow to be a valued member of society. Additionally, I must think of the financial implications of Jesse’s future. As an adult, Jesse will be destined to a life of poverty unless I am able to provide otherwise. I, like many parents, am in a race against time to have finances in place for Jesse’s future. As an adult, Jesse will qualify for SSI which should be approximately $850/mo by the time he reaches 18. I am certain he will maintain a job, however, his income will directly affect his SSI which will be the provider of his health insurance. My greatest fear is that Jesse could potentially end up in a group home or worse yet, institutionalized should something happen to me. The greatest material gift I can give Jesse is a home. With a home, Jesse will have the autonomy to remain in his neighborhood, a place that he will have grown up, attended school, formed relationships and friendships. As a parent, I am providing him with the tools to survive and prosper. With the help of Harford Habitat, I am providing him a safe haven, a lifelong home.

I have had the great pleasure and honor of working with many of my future neighbors through the Habitat program. Seeing people working toward their goal and having the ability to get to know them has brought a feeling of camaraderie between the families. Knowing the people whose homes I have worked on has only make me work harder and more carefully to give their families the best that I can give. I have nothing but respect for all of the partner families I have met because quite frankly, I know firsthand how much work goes into the final goal of homeownership. It has been no easy task for anyone involved. Balancing a full time job, arranging childcare and meeting the commitment deadlines for classes, hours and paperwork has been a challenge for me and I am certain for every other family. I can securely say that Habitat for Humanity does not “offer a handout” or “give homes away” as many people erroneously believe.

It is important to me that people understand that facts about this program. What I have been given is an opportunity. I have taken that opportunity and worked hard to make it a reality as have the other partner families. Another piece of the program that I had not anticipated was the tremendous amount of support from the employees and volunteers of Habitat. Every person within that organization has been 100% available to me for questions and support. It is clear that every member of the Habitat team truly believes in the mission of their organization. Whether it was in the office or on the worksite, I have felt embraced and supported by everyone in the Habitat family. The completion of my home will not end my relationship with Harford Habitat as I plan to continue volunteering both on and off the worksite for many years to come. My sincerest thanks to the people at Harford Habitat who truly make dreams come true.

---

THE HARRIS FAMILY

In 2003 after finishing school I decided to start working on some of my goals. I told my parents I wanted to stay on the same job I worked while in school because I was happy with the company. Well that meant I had reached goal number one, a job I enjoyed. Next we talked about me moving into an apartment. Here we go again - I have reached another goal, number 2.

Now I have been working for 9 years and living in my apartment for 6 years, but things are not working out at the apartment. There have been many maintenance issues so it’s time to reach another goal which has always been important to me - I want A Home I Can Call My Own!

Ms. Sue Rattman from the Arc Northern Chesapeake Region (Self Directed Supports), Dave Hasbury (Neighbors Inc), family, friends and myself had a PATH meeting.

During the Path meeting I explained what kind of house and neighborhood I wanted. Mr. Dave drew my PATH on paper and it hangs on my wall so when ever I look at it I will stay focused.

We later had a meeting with Mr. Joe Wykowski and that was one of the times we were informed of Habitat. We went to Home Partnership Inc. There we met Ms. Kim Cowie, who explained more to us about Habitat and Ms. Cowie also went over my finances and informed me I would qualify for a Habitat House. Well, I was approved by Habitat’s Board of Directors and great things started happening for me.

Harford Habitat for Humanity employees, volunteers, and partner families have become an extension of my family. Doing the sweat equity was a chore in the beginning but, the people I have been working with are all caring and fun so it has become enjoyable.

On September 24, 2010 I will have reached goal number 3, A Home Of My Own!

Thanks to God, Family, Friends, and Habitat - I Have a Home!

I am now praying for the day when I will be able to share my home with my wife and our children. (Goal number 4). It will happen when God says it time.

Thank you,

Lester Harris

 

---

THE TINSLEY FAMILY

 

My name is Danielle Tinsley and I have an eight year old daughter named Lauren who is deaf and has cerebral palsy. I currently work for The Arc in Aberdeen. Having a Habitat home is a dream come true for me! I have prayed for this for a long time. I currently live in an apartment and have to carry Lauren up and down stairs daily. Our bathroom door is not wide enough to fit her wheelchair through so the new bathroom will provide relief for that. She is a small girl but is still heavy to lift constantly. My new home will be modified to accommodate Lauren’s needs, and I will feel more secure knowing that the place we will live in is now a place I can call my own.

My experience with Habitat has really been fun!! I have met so many nice people who were very patient with me. I did not know the first thing about building anything or had never painted. Since working on site so many times, I am more knowledgeable about power tools, paint and primer and can even crochet cords “Dave Hall” style. I plan to continue to volunteer with Habitat once my hours and home is complete. This organization has blessed me and Lauren so much!

As a Habitat homeowner I am looking forward to a clean, safe home. I am also excited to have my own parking spot close to the house. Our apartment has no assigned parking and sometimes I had to carry Lauren a while before getting in the house. I am also happy that we will have a washer and dryer so that I do not have to drag our laundry in and out of the house. My mom will tell you how thrilled I am to be able to host events such as Christmas and Thanksgiving now that I have a place large enough to do that.

Thank you Habitat!!

---

THE TAYLOR FAMILY

    

Hello, we are the Taylor family. Our family consists of: Greg Taylor - 29, Bernita Taylor- 27, and Anu Taylor – 1 year. We joined the Habitat family in February of 2010 and what lovely families to join. Greg and I found out about Habitat from a partner family that attended our church. Denise encouraged us to look into Habitat especially since she knew our current living arrangements. We were living with 11 people in a single family home, conditions were cramped and stressed. The three of us and all of Anu’s baby items were in a room that was once a weight room. Although we were blessed that the other people we lived with were family, because of the close living quarters, we were constantly involved with everyone’s issues. This made situations between Greg and me often difficult since I was constantly caught in the middle between my husband and my family.

Habitat offered us a breath of fresh air in allowing us to be a partner family with the opportunity of building and owning our home. We were truly excited and blessed by the opportunity and immediately began trying to work towards completing the requirements for the program. We ran into a few obstacles while on the road to home ownership. Greg lost his job and was unemployed; I lost mine also after the birth of our daughter. It was a rocky time for we thought that we would be dismissed from the program. God had a different plan! A month after Greg lost his job he was able to secure a position at Baltimore City Public School system as a teacher. This was a threefold blessing: we could stay a partner family with Habitat; we had income to support our growing daughter, as well as insurance for her appointments, and it helped Greg become closer to his dreams of teaching art. During this time I looked for employment but was unable to secure a position, so I got the often rare opportunity of staying home and raising Anu, an experience that I would not trade for the world.

As we moved through the requirements to complete the Habitat program, we gained a wealth of knowledge and experience to become more educated disciplined homeowners. We met a number of wonderful individuals who were more than willing to help us balance our check book, organize our finances, and learn the tricks of saving money. Working on site was simply amazing; never could we have imagined the dedication that the youth and adults who helped build our house would have in making this dream come true. We went on site as strangers and left family. This experience is one that we will never forget; it has changed us so much as individuals and as a couple. We have learned how to be informed homeowners. We have learned the power of God and how He can use even your enemy to bless you. Most importantly we have learned that even in our lowest moments, God uses the gifts he gives each of us to be a blessing for someone else. Harford Habitat for Humanity is an example for the world of Christ’s love for all, this organization shows this love one family at a time, and as Christians we have to be willing to show that same Love of Christ no matter what.

---

THE HISER FAMILY

My name is Kristy Hiser and I’m a proud mother of two beautiful girls, Sophia, 3 years and Lilliana, 8 months. I live in a house I rent from my parents, Karen and Danny Hiser in Churchville, Maryland. Last October my father Danny had a liver transplant. He is doing well but is unable to go back to work. My parents need to move back into the home I rent from them because they can’t afford to keep both homes.

My mother told me about Habitat for Humanity. She said “Kristy, you should apply”. So I did. I am now approved and get a chance I never thought possible! I’m going to own my own home! This whole experience has been unbelievable and I never would have dreamed it could happen. I feel like I won the lottery.

Thank you, Habitat, for making it possible for me to provide a stable home for myself and my children. This means the world to me because I’m now able to start building a bright future for my children and myself.

Thank you,
Kristy Hiser

---

THE COCKRAN FAMILY

My name is Tacora Cockran and I have two daughters, Nastazia who is age 13 and Promis who is 8. I am disabled with a genetic disorder called Machado Joseph disease and I also have Lupus. I have been disabled since May of 2009. We currently live in Windsor Valley Town homes. It’s a two story, two bedroom townhome.

The neighborhood we live in is gang affiliated and not the safest place to raise children such as mine. Plus the fact that there are quite a few steps makes it difficult to move comfortably up and down the stairs. We need to move to an easier and safer environment for my children and myself.

Once accepted to the program, I hope to feel and be a greater mother by providing a safer place for my children to grow up. Without feeling guilty I can’t provide to make them feel safe and secure. Now I will be able to call myself a homeowner and will be able to live in a better environment. It is one of the greatest gifts someone could have given me and my family. We could not be more thankful for this opportunity.

---

THE ESPEY FAMILY

Ola Mae is a 78 year old woman that grew up in Jarrettsville on a small family farm. She married and raised six girls. She later divorced and now lives alone. To help support her family she worked in the school cafeteria and later in a cafeteria in a nursing home. She is now retired and enjoys knitting and working with her church.

As Ola Mae was growing up, they had no indoor plumbing. She did not have indoor plumbing until after her children were born. She worked hard to give her children what they needed. These last few years she has been living in an old trailer that was in deplorable condition. The floor was rotting out due to the walls and roof leaking. Because of the constant moisture, mold was an issue. Her daughters wanted better living conditions for her, and Ola wanted to live alone. They could not afford new housing for her so they contacted Habitat for Humanity to assist them.

Ola Mae says that this is one of the best things that has ever happened to her. This is the first time in her life that she has ever had this much done for her. She reports feeling like a queen and that she is on cloud nine. Her children are ecstatic that she will have her own decent place to live.