The place Jamie and her daughter Gianna currently call home is not accessible. Gianna has cerebral palsy, and as she grows, it is getting more difficult for Jamie to care for her daughter in a living situation that’s challenging for someone in a wheelchair. Jamie heard stories of other Beaches Habitat homeowners and wondered if she could get approved to own a home for her and her daughter.

“Being a single parent of a special needs child, there is no way in this life that I ever thought I would be approved for a house, ever…I don’t make that much money, and I don’t have anybody to co-sign on a loan. To know that I can get into this house on my own with Habitat supporting me is surreal.”

At Beaches Habitat, we know that families in our community have the potential to stand on their own. Sometimes all they need is a helping hand, a way to help themselves to build that better life. When families partner with Habitat, their path to homeownership is one with fewer barriers. They are seizing an opportunity, and — with a hand up — they are changing their futures.

As the reality that Jamie would soon be a homeowner started to sink in, she started looking for ways that her new home would help her to care for her daughter better as she grows up. Jamie inquired about having a lift system installed in her new home. Thanks to a grant, Beaches Habitat has installed a SureHands lift system in her home.

“From the very beginning, I just always knew that God was going to take care of us. At times, it doesn’t seem like the light is very bright, but if you are patient and wait, God shows up in a huge way, and He has done that for us so many times. This is just another one of those moments for us. God is completely taking care of this child. I am blessed to be called mom of her because she is pretty amazing and special.”

Since construction began on her home earlier this year, Jamie has been a fixture on the construction site.

“It is going to be pretty phenomenal to be able to say that I helped build my house. I am so excited to be a homeowner. What Habitat is giving us, there is no price you could put on it. They are giving us so much more than an affordable mortgage. They are giving us freedom and independence.”

Volunteers, along with the construction team, are hard at work to complete construction on Jamie and Gianna’s home. We are so excited to help them move on to the next phase of their journey!