Vonda

More than 100 women came together to frame the walls of Vonda’s Habitat home.

The Women Build event was all about empowering women, showcasing their strength and discovering abilities some of them didn’t even know they had.

Vonda’s own strength and determination stood out among them all.

A bracket-style hammering challenge had everyone cheering her to victory, especially her children. They beamed with pride when she won the final round, hammering 10 nails in a matter of seconds. It was a testament to how much she’s learned through Habitat’s affordable home ownership program.

“I feel like I could build me a house right now,” Vonda said. And she’s doing it.

Vonda works at her full-time job all week, then spends her Saturdays on Habitat construction sites, working on her sweat-equity hours. It’s tough, but her dreams for the future keep her going.

“I want to go back to school for mechatronics and get a good, running car,” she said.

She also wants one safe, stable home for her children.

The house Vonda is renting is old, run down and raggedy. There are mildew stains and soft spots from moisture, the wiring is old and fuses blow, the kitchen tile is coming up, there are bugs, things are always breaking and there are squirrels in the roof.

But it’s an upgrade from her apartment at Belton Woods, where she felt she couldn’t let the kids outside. So it was worth using the last bit of her tax return and taking her account to $0 to pay an $800 security deposit on it.

“It’s bad,” Vonda said. “But it’s a place to sleep and the kids can play outside.”

Her Habitat home will bring positive changes for everyone. Eleven-year-old Zy and 9-year-old Jade are excited to have their own rooms for the first time. And Keshun, 8, is a proud big brother who says he doesn’t mind sharing a room with 1-year-old Michaden. It will give some relief to Vonda, who right now has the baby’s crib, changing table and clothes in her bedroom.

“I can be this young and own a home,” said Vonda, who is 27-year-old. “I’m excited. New beginnings.”

The best thing, Vonda said, is never needing to worry about moving again, something that happened for her frequently growing up.

“We moved and moved, every three or four years,” Vonda said. “My Habitat home will be my third and, hopefully, my final home. My kids will always have a place to come home. It will always be there.”