April

Years ago when her teenage son, Savion, was little, April did full time in-home daycare and one of her clients was getting a Habitat house built. It seemed like a world away to her. Fast forward to last year when a friend told her about an upcoming Homeowners Orientation and asked her if she wanted to go too. That simple question put April on her path to home ownership, and away from an apartment that had a hole in the ceiling and other damage left by maintenance for months. She is eager to be in a neighborhood where she can walk their little dog, Gizmo in the early hours before she leaves for work without fear of being followed, which has happened more than once.

April, a certified phlebotomist, works in a plasma collection center. Her job focuses on the operations of the facility more than actually drawing blood. Savion is attending high school and loves sports, particularly basketball. They both are looking forward to having more space and a yard to play in with Gizmo.

April said she likes the Habitat program, specifically the Restore, where she did some of her community service hours. She said it’s a place where one person can donate to and another person can purchase things to fix up their homes affordably. She added there was a giving atmosphere there among the volunteers and she met “a lot of interesting people”.

When referring to her building hours April added, “I’m glad I got to experience working on other’s homes. It eases my anxiety about working on my own home,” something she and Savion are eager to start.