A Future for Her Kids: Charlene’s Story
Charlene is a single mother of two children. She grew up in Marana and she is excited about establishing her new home there.
For the past five years, Charlene and her kids have lived in a mobile home that barely fit all three of them. They practically lived on top of one another. The family had to walk through each other’s space just to get to their own rooms. And for a mom with one teen and one pre-teen, the lack of privacy was challenging.
She tries to make sure her kids stay safe, but living in a dangerous neighborhood only exacerbated their problems. “Where we’re at, the area is not the greatest,” Charlene says. “There’s a lot of drugs and bad things happening.” The instability and safety concerns make her very worried for the future. She wants so much more for her children.
When Charlene got the call about getting accepted into the homeownership program, she couldn’t believe it. She had been stuck in an awful living situation for the last 5 years, and finally there was a light at the end of the tunnel. She says, “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
While doing sweat equity, Charlene loved getting to know some of her neighbors. She says, “It’s nice to know that you can meet new people and be able to be trustful of them.”
Finally having a home to call her own is life-changing for Charlene. She always wanted her children to have a house that they can come back to—a place they can feel comfortable. A place where they feel they belong. She has always done her best to give them the stable childhood that she never had, and she can think of no better opportunity for them than growing up in a Habitat home.
“I always knew when I did have kids that I was going to make them number one no matter what,” Charlene says. “No matter what God gave me, I always made it work.”
In the fall of 2022, Charlene moved into her new home in Marana!