04 Jun Lindsey’s Story
First off, I want to say how thankful I am to have been selected to become a homeowner through Habitat for Humanity. There was a time in my life when I couldn’t fathom being able to purchase a home. I was 19 years old when I fell in love and became pregnant with my daughter. Four years later my son came along. The relationship with the father of my children didn’t last and I found myself as a single mother supporting two children. Those first several years taking care of two small children by myself were very challenging. I was only able to work part-time because I couldn’t afford fulltime childcare for two children, so I worked evenings and weekends when my mother or father were able to watch my kids. I depended on section 8 housing, food stamps, and Medicaid to help provide for my family.
Although I was thankful that these resources were available to me, I hated the way it made me feel relying on welfare benefits in order to take care of my family. I was determined that I was going to work hard to get myself and my family out of poverty. I wanted to support myself and my children all on my own without having to depend on government assistance or anyone else to help meet our needs. When my youngest started school I went to work full-time. For the past ten years, I have worked for the same company and have been blessed with a couple of promotions, which lead to higher pay. During the past three years, in addition to my fulltime job, I also work a parttime job to increase my monthly income. I have worked hard at becoming self-sufficient and I am proud to say that I am financially independent.
In the Fall of 2017, I decided that I wanted to pursue a higher education, so I enrolled in online college courses at the Northwest Arkansas Community College. It took me three years going part-time, but I achieved my goal and graduated with an Associates of Arts. I am planning on going back to school in the next year or two to get a degree in Health Information Management.
Working a fulltime job, parttime job, and going to school was very stressful at times. I would spend my weekends and every night after work on homework assignments. There were moments when I would get so overwhelmed, and I wondered how I was ever going to get through school while working two jobs. A few times I didn’t think I had it in me to keep going, but then I would remember that I have two children that are watching me and that would motivate me to keep going. I am intent on leading my children by my example. I don’t want my children to just hear my advice, I want them to see me living my advice.
Through hard work and determination, I have been able to rise above my previous circumstances and have achieved several goals I have set for myself. The next goal in my life is to become a homeowner. My children and I currently live in a small two-bedroom apartment, which barely fits our family. A home will provide us with a permanent residence where we will have more space where everyone will have their own room and privacy. I want the money that I am spending each month in rent to go towards owning my own home. In the past, I’ve wondered about buying a home, but I didn’t know where to start or if I could even afford to purchase a home on my own and I would give up on the idea. One day, I came across a Facebook post about Habitat for Humanity’s Homeownership Program and that they were having an orientation meeting, so I decided to go to the meeting and see what it was about. I am so glad that I made the decision to attend, because my goal of becoming a homeowner is about to be achieved. I am truly grateful and honored to have been chosen by Habitat for Humanity to become a future homeowner with affordable mortgage payments.
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