Susana is a single mom of three. She has an 18 year old son, who will not be living with the family, and two daughters, 17 year-old Jennifer and 11 year-old Mercedes.
Suzana has been supporting her children on her own. Life became especially difficult when the economy slowed and she was laid off from ALCOA Fastening Systems where she was a Production Technician. She was fortunate to become a caregiver with Handmakers Assisted Living. Then in February of this year ALCOA called her to see if she wanted to return. “I liked being a caregiver,” said Suzana. “But I decided to return to ALCOA since the hours and pay were better.”
Suzana really wants to provide a permanent and stable home for her daughters. They have had to move regularly, causing the girls to change schools often. They currently live in a rented manufactured home in a mobile park. They try to make the best of it but the girls really wish they had more privacy.
“You can hear everything everybody does,” said Jennifer. “Even when you’re trying not to.”
With tears of joy welling in her eyes, Suzana recalls that she was at work when she got the call from Habitat. “They called me into the office so I could take the call,” she said. “When I heard I was selected all I wanted to do was scream with joy, but I couldn’t since I was at work. When I got home and saw the girls I screamed ‘guess what?’ we got a Habitat home!”
“Then we all screamed and Mom cried,” said Jennifer. “Now we can decorate our rooms any way we want to!”
Suzana and Jennifer have both been working at the Habitat construction site. They said they will cherish their new house because they know the work
involved in building the home from the ground up. They really like getting to know their new neighbors too.
“It means everything to have our own home,” said Suzana. “We don’t have to move again and the girls get to have their own rooms.”