When Twila bought her North 24th Street home through Habitat for Humanity of Omaha in 1990, she hoped it would change her family’s future. She never imagined it would spark a legacy that would lead two of her children to become homeowners on the very same block more than three decades later.

In October 2025, Twila’s daughter, Timika, bought a house along Decatur Street in the St. Pius neighborhood. Two months later, her son, Bruce, bought the house right next door.

“I’m happy for my son. I’m happy for my daughter,” she said. “This is just amazing.”

Timika cuts the ribbon with help from her mom, Twila, and dad, Tim, during the dedication of her new home.

Timika

Timika was renting a house in North Omaha when the landlord told her he had sold it. Uncertainty set in. Would the new owner continue to rent to her? Would she need to move?

“My mom suggested Habitat Omaha, and I jumped on it,” said Timika, who works as a forklift operator for a local packaging company. “We started filling out the paperwork immediately.”

In June, Timika received her acceptance letter into Habitat Omaha’s Home Journey program. The program provides financial education, guidance and partnership to help individuals and families overcome barriers to first-time homeownership. She completed the necessary requirements and selected her house.

The moment Timika received the keys to her two-bedroom house was emotional. Only two years before, her husband had passed away from cancer. They had talked about buying a house together. “I wish he could be here to see this.”

“It’s like a weight has been lifted off me,” she added. “Because honestly, I never would have thought I would own my own home. I really didn’t, especially after my husband passed. This means the world to me. This is one of the greatest days of my life.”

Bruce and his mom, Twila, at the closing for Bruce’s new home.

Bruce

When Twila learned the house next door to Timika’s house was available, she realized it would be perfect for her son, Bruce.

Two weeks after Timika’s closed on her home in October, Bruce applied to become a homeowner through Habitat Omaha.

“The next thing I know, within a month, the process was started and completed,” he said.

It had been two years since Bruce, who works for the U.S. Postal Service, began looking for his first home.

“When I saw this house, I knew it would be perfect for just me,” he said. “When I actually walked through it, I realized I would be perfectly happy here.”

Having his sister, Timika, nearby was a bonus.

“It’s good to have a support system next door,” he said. “Because we’re going to be so close, we’ll always be able to help each other out.”

Bruce had grown up in a Habitat home since he was 5. He watched his mom work hard to purchase a home to provide stability for her family. He recognized the significance of buying his own home.

“The word that comes to mind is legacy,” Bruce said. “The legacy of Habitat and helping people realize their dreams. Even at 5 years old, I always wanted to live in a house and not have to worry about anything, and that’s what my mom provided. Now that she is comfortable in her life, it was way beyond time for me to get my own. And the legacy of Habitat is helping me succeed in that.”

For Twila, watching her children put down roots beside one another is more than a milestone — it’s the fulfillment of the stability she once dreamed of building.

Bruce thanks his mother for her support during the home-buying process.