Gratitude and Partnership

“Our new neighborhood is such a blessing and we are so thankful,” Jeremy said about the home he and his family built with Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County.

It had been more than five years since Jeremy and Cameron’s family of six felt any sense of permanence in their living situation. They were crowded and cramped, and were ready for some stability and more affordable housing. Encouraged by a friend, they visited Habitat for Humanity to find out if their family qualified. They heard the news of their acceptance the week of Thanksgiving 2014.

Over the course of the following year, they partnered with Habitat staff and volunteers, sharing life stories and their days on the work site. They had the unique opportunity of swinging hammers side by side with three generations of their family. A strong sense of camaraderie developed as volunteers brought snacks, ran dump loads, painted and repainted, caulked and caulked and caulked, raked compost and planted flowerbeds, built fences, etc.

A week before Christmas 2015, just over a year after that special Thanksgiving, Jeremy and Cameron moved their family into their new home, complete with a tree!

The family continues to see familiar faces around town. This experience expanded their community tenfold. “Our hearts feel enlarged with the love of our neighbors expressed to us through working side by side to help us create a house that has now become our home. We cannot adequately express our gratitude to God and our community for the gift of this opportunity.