Habitat for Humanity
Mission Work in our Community
Announcing our April
Habitat for Humanity Build!
Location:
Linden Street Columbia Build, 5 new townhomes across from the Turkey Hill Experience.
Dates:
Wednesday, April 15 through Friday, April 17
Saturday, April 25: Intergenerational build
Times:
7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tasks:
Framing, interior trim, and insulation installation
Contact: Julia Witmer Gallagher; juliawgallagher@gmail.com | 609 -937-2494
Click here to download the signup instructions.
Click here to register your spot on the Habitat for Humanity website.
Meet Stephanie and read her journey from homelessness to a Habitat for Humanity home.
Just two-and-a-half years ago, Stephanie was homeless.
At that point, she’d recently gotten out of a toxic relationship, which was followed by prolonged mental and physical struggles. She experienced paralyzing anxiety at the thought of returning to her nursing job, where she’d worked for the previous 13 years, moving her way up from personal caretaker to nursing assistant. (She eventually took on a part-time job as a security guard and landed a position at Valvoline Instant Oil Change.)
She and three of her daughters, who were 9, 10 and 14 at the time, spent two restless nights living in their 2007 Dodge Caliber in Lancaster’s Reservoir Park parking lot.
“It was stressful,” says Stephanie. “I couldn’t sleep. I would fall asleep and wake back up and check on my girls.”
After the initial two nights of living out of their car, Stephanie and her daughters slept on friends’ couches and, eventually, they were able to stay with her niece for two months.
“It was definitely rough going house to house, couch to couch, not knowing where I’m going to sleep at night,” says Stephanie. “It’s stressful. It’s not a position I’d want anyone to ever experience. But, we’re all human, so my journey might not be yours.”
After two months, Stephanie decided to connect with Tenfold’s TLC shelter, which provides temporary housing and supportive services to individuals and families in a 52-room building on King Street in Lancaster.
“I was hesitant. You know, pride and stuff like that,” says Stephanie about her decision to move into the shelter. “I had never in my life been in a situation like this. And to put my kids through it? It’s a tough decision, but it was actually the best decision I made.”
While living at TLC, Stephanie spoke with a counselor about her goals.
“One of my goals to was to purchase a home. I had always wanted to be a homeowner, and years before, I was working off my credit score to be able to purchase a home,” says Stephanie.
Stephanie’s counselor at TLC recommended the Habitat for Humanity homeownership program. Her counselor also helped her get into an apartment, which Stephanie was able to secure after she and her future landlord bonded over being women in male-dominated fields.
Stephanie, who is now a store manager at Valvoline Instant Oil Change, says she learned how to fix cars from her father.
“I was like his little son — I was the fifth daughter and he always wanted a son, so he raised me fixing up cars,” says Stephanie. “I was passing him the wrenches and the sockets and doing work on cars and doing work in our house, remodeling the kitchen and bathroom.”
Stephanie was not only moving up the housing ladder, but the corporate ladder too.
“In the next five-ten years, I’ll be fine becoming a district manager and moving my way up the ladder,” says Stephanie. “I really love the company. Valvoline is a family.”
With a stable job in place, Stephanie focused on her dream of becoming a homeowner. She was accepted into Habitat’s homeownership program in August of 2023 and, in April of 2024, she completed the required 100 hours of sweat equity she needed to match with her future home in Columbia.
Stephanie says to be able to go from living out of her car with her daughters to being able to partner with Habitat to help build a stable and safe home for her and her daughters makes her feel like she’s doing her job as a mother.
“The opportunity that Habitat has given me, is like, saying it’s a blessing doesn’t even explain how I feel,” says Stephanie. “There are no words to explain how I feel given this opportunity. It’s a lot of emotions. So much joy.
About Habitat for Humanity
Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity partners with local first-time homebuyers who are making around 40-80% of our area’s annual median income. When an applicant is accepted, that homebuyer completes 250-400 hours of sweat equity towards the completion of their home. Habitat also utilizes as much volunteer labor as possible from local community members to keep building costs down.
Once the home is finished and the sweat equity hours are completed, Habitat is able to offer the homebuyer a 20-30 year mortgage at an affordable rate (around 30% of their monthly income) at a 0% interest rate. The new homeowners pay that monthly mortgage to Habitat and that is what enables the Habitat to keep building new homes.
Linden Street Columbia Build, 5 new townhomes across from the Turkey Hill Experience.
The fourth project was the rebuilding of the gazebo next to San Pablo Church, partially destroyed by Hurricane Maria. All funds used to repair the gazebo were provided by funds raised to support the Mission Trip. The gazebo is used for parish events and Sunday school classes and was a huge boost to the morale of the parish to see it being repaired.
