Renewal

One of the sad realities of Habitat for Humanity is that sometimes families are unable to stay in their homes.  Sometimes life circumstances get the best of them and they can no longer afford the mortgage.  Sometimes they choose to stop making payments.  At our affiliate, these former Habitat homes are typically cleaned up and rehabbed a little bit before being sold, but recently the decision was made to rehab one for a new Habitat family.

It was our first time doing that, and from a Family Services standpoint, we weren't quite sure how to go about it.  At our affiliate the wallraising and the key ceremony are the two most important days for our family.  But since this house already had walls, we needed to think of a new way to make it special.

I came up with the name: Renewal. It's only one word, but it carries so much in its meaning and connotation.  It definitely set the stage for a good event.

At wallraisings, volunteers typically write their sentiments on the studs.  We didn't have exposed studs, but we still wanted to give people the opportunity to leave special messages for the family.  We decided to roll with the season, and brought a small fir tree with ornaments that people could write on.  It looked cute, was perfect for December, and will certainly be special when the family gets to plant it in their yard.

But the best part of this Renewal was most definitely the family.  They are the most gracious couple I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Both husband and wife come from very humble backgrounds and could not be more thankful that they are receiving the opportunity to be homeowners.

From the moment she stepped onto the site Antonia was squealing with joy, hugging everyone in sight and exclaiming about how perfect everything was going to be.  Robert stood in more quiet contemplation, soaking it all in.  When we started, Robert offered the opening prayer, repeatedly voicing his gratefulness that the people of Habitat exist and work hard daily to make home ownership a reality for low income families. 

It's so interesting to me to see how different homesteaders react emotionally to the Habitat process.

There are tears, there are smiles.  Some are talkative, some can't find the right words.  The common thread is that they are all thankful, but the pure joy displayed by Antonia and Robert was definitely my favorite Habitat aura thus far.  Their presence at their Renewal certainly helped to renew my dedication to my service this year.