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Family Stories-
the difference a home can make
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Is it
possible, in North Central
Minnesota- one of the most popular vacation
destination areas in the Midwest- that there are
families living with no toilet facilities and no
source of heat in their home?
It’s not only
possible, it is a reality.
No indoor
plumbing, overcrowding, mold, faulty wiring,
insulation so inadequate that canned goods
freeze in cupboards, unaffordable rent and high
heating bills. These are just a few of the harsh
realities faced by families in our area.
The loss of a
job or a health problem can quickly put a family
into crisis. With foreclosure or
renter eviction, families find themselves
doubling up with relatives, in substandard
housing or totally homeless.
Ron and Vicki closed on their Habitat home in
2010. The
family had lost their home to foreclosure as
medical bills for illnesses of two of their
daughters financially overwhelmed them.
The family was able to move into a small home
with a relative. Stress upon stress led to a
temporary separation for the couple. Working
together side by side with volunteers to build
their Habitat home, the family was reunited in a
safe and affordable house that adequately met
the needs of the family.
Micah and Dakotah have just moved out of a
crowded, hard to heat mobile home into their new
Habitat house. Their mother knows their living
situation negatively affected their ability to
do well in school. Studies show that
when children
live in well-built homes with adequate space and
safety from the elements,
they are healthier and better able to focus in
school.
Read more
family stories below.... |
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Cheshire 2011 |
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“The old house,
which had saved us in hard times before saved us
again. I feel really badly that they (the
children) had to live there all their childhood,
embarrassed and ashamed. But we had a roof over
our heads. The addition we added to the old
house is crumbling with each rain. The old part
does not leak but is such a cave. I am thankful
for this old house even though I hate living
here. So much work, time and money into it.” |
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Read
Marlene's Whole Store Here |
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Scheeler 2011 |
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"Living
in the home I am in now has been a
blessing because I have my boys, but it
also is very hard. Every winter the
pipes freeze, sometimes for days at a
time. I have to keep buckets of water
set aside just in case. I have tried
various things to keep the pipes from
freezing, including running a space
heater nonstop. My electric bill doubled
and it didn’t work. The bathroom floor
was replaced but I can see the water
underneath creeping through the floor.
The electrical is unsafe, recently I
unplugged a space heater and the end of
the plug was burnt and melted."
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Read
Teasha's Whole Store Here |
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| Seidl
1998 |
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Amanda
(Seidl) Rayman is the daughter of Cindy
(Seidl) Schmitz. Now all grown up,
we have the privilege of hearing their
family story through the eyes of a
child.
Seidl Family Story |
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