Tammy

Tammy is raising her two granddaughters, Zimeyria (13) and Patience (7). Since their mother couldn’t take care of them, Tammy has had custody of both girls since they were babies.

Tammy has rented the same house for the past 30 years, and it’s been in constant disrepair. Water damage and leaks have caused mold and soft spots in the floors. She’s spent countless hours and dollars trying to maintain it because the landlord couldn’t fix any of the home’s issues.

“The house I’m in now is falling apart,” Tammy said. “I’ve fixed floors, I’ve fixed plumbing, I’ve laid floors, I’ve painted, I’ve caulked, I’ve done everything there is to do.”

Tammy had wanted to reach out to Habitat for years, but didn’t get the momentum to do it until her landlord fell ill and decided to sell the house. Needing a new place to live, she decided to push forward with Habitat. She was ecstatic when she got approved.

“I did a happy dance around my kitchen,” she said. “I told my girls we’re getting a house soon. I’ve been approved for the first step!”

While her sweat-equity hours initially intimidated her, Tammy was determined to complete them as quickly as possible. She worked hard helping out at the Habitat Restore, construction sites, and taking educational courses about finances and homeownership. Within four months of her approval, Tammy completed 125 of the 300 required hours.

“I told myself come January 2023, hours are in” she said. “And I moved on the hours like crazy!”

Tammy had a great time with her volunteer hours, and especially loved paint nights with volunteer crew leader Claudia.

“I love Mrs. Claudia Lupo,” she said. “I love her! She is wonderful.”

More than anything, Tammy’s most excited to simply move into her new home. She can’t wait for a clean, comfy house she can call her own. She’s particularly excited about the backyard.

“When I first move in, I’m going on the back porch with a chair and I’m just going to look out there,” she said with a big smile. “It’s going to be lovely.”

Tammy’s Habitat journey meant so much to her that at her home dedication ceremony, she announced her intention to continue volunteering with Habitat. We’re always looking for hard-working volunteers like her to lend their support.

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To learn more about Tammy, you can watch her video here