Amber and her children come home from work, or school, and gravitate towards Marshmallow. The Syrian hamster is one of three pets the family has acquired since becoming Habitat Omaha homeowners. Amber used to live on a land agreement in a cottage, which worked for her as she wanted to renovate and purchase it from the landlord. He, unfortunately, did not seem willing to sell. As Amber’s family grew, the dwelling began to feel smaller.
An affordable apartment with help from an assistance program had kept her from sleeping on friends’ couches, but didn’t solve all of her problems or help fulfill her goal of becoming a homeowner.
12 years into owning her neat, modest north Omaha home, she’s very thankful. Homeownership brought her the stability and long-term security she sought for herself and her children, Kylen, 14 and Kylia, 4.
Ma Thu Sa and San Aung’s journey to their Habitat Omaha home started 8,339 miles away in a refugee camp in Thailand. According to the United Nations Office, in 2014, there were 111,000 Karen refugees looking for new opportunities.
Athena served in the Army as an all-wheel mechanic in 2001 before being medically discharged in 2003. While she was still living on a military post in Louisiana, she purchased a home sight unseen in Omaha, Nebraska.
Anthony, who goes by Tony, is a Marine Corps veteran who served as a radio operator from 1990 to 1994. Unfortunately, his service left him with a 100% disabled rating, with cardiomyopathy and asthma. These issues and other health concerns have made it difficult for him to find work to accommodate his disabilities.
Aaron served in the Air Force National Guard as a services craftsman, with a unique range of duties that included food service, mortuary affairs, fitness, and ensuring the general morale and welfare of the troops. Once Aaron was brought on active duty, he served full time in mortuary affairs, working with the deceased in Iraq.
Debbie and her husband, Kenny, are both veterans. Debbie served in the Air Force, and Kenny served in the Marines. Though they met in fifth grade, they went their separate ways before reuniting and marrying in 1998.
Tami started her career in the Army National Guard in Oregon and was trained as a material control and accounting technician. While serving in the Guard, she was activated for duty in support of Operation Desert Storm. Her primary responsibility was to prepare units for deployment into the Middle East. Upon ending her service, Tami worked administrative jobs in retail and insurance. For the past 15 years, she has worked as a support clerk for a global risk services firm.
Living in an apartment for six years was not ideal for Jamila and her family. Their apartment did not fit their needs, but they made it work. Jamila knew she had goals she wanted to accomplish in 2021. One of those goals was to become a homeowner.