Celebration
"In my early twenties, I did not have a concept of being stable, so I moved frequently, at times even becoming homeless. It took a great toll on me and my family emotionally and physically. As a Habitat homeowner now, I know that won't be my family's story."
Cynthia, Habitat Omaha Homeowner
Just a stone’s throw from King Science & Technology Magnet school, the once flourishing neighborhood of Kountze Park languished. Condemned houses, empty lots and properties owned by slumlords filled a vacuum left by older generations of hard-working families, who had long since moved on. One inquiry to Habitat for Humanity of Omaha from a neighbor committed to returning the block to its former glory resulted in an entire community transformation. What was a magnet for arson and theft became a haven for young, hard-working families like Cynthia and Kevin.
People new to Habitat sometimes think the homes we build are free; Cynthia and Kevin know better. Their family understands first hand that Habitat Omaha provides a hand up, not a hand out. They and their children, Octavia (18), Shamall (15), Isaac (11) and Kevin Jr. (9), are new residents in the Kountze Park neighborhood in a home they built with sweat equity and are making monthly payments on.
The family is a pure force of positive change.
Kevin works at a transitional living facility, volunteers at his church every day and coaches both little league and football; Cynthia is determined to show her family a different path forward than the sometimes homeless one she forged. On the cusp of becoming the first college graduate in her family, Cynthia feels blessed to have grown in knowledge and experience, and is now ready to take care of her home with her family.
