posted by admin on Oct 1

“Destiny is no matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved“ William Jennings Bryan

During my first month working for Waco Habitat for Humanity, I was asked to participate in the family selection process and provide Spanish translation for a home visit. When families are going through the selection process, part of the process requires some members of the Selection Committee to visit the families in their homes.

Leaving a job where I seldom interacted with people, making a home visit was kind of foreign to my past day-to-day activities. But nonetheless, I went, not knowing what to expect. It took a while to locate the home of the applicant; the house was placed toward the back of a lot. Now, I have lived in Waco, Texas most of my life and I never knew that such living conditions existed in this town. The house was a two-bedroom house and had an alleyway entrance.

Upon entering the home, my eyes had to adjust because the house was extremely dark. The bare bulb that hung off a cord in the kitchen gave little light and moved back and forth which provided an eeriness in the house. The house had several roof leaks and holes were abundant throughout the floor. The kitchen counters were covered with linoleum that was lifting up from all angles. The one thing that was astounding was how the house smelled of cleaning agents. The applicant may have lived in a modest setting but she maintained what little she had with a fierce pride.

The applicant welcomed us with a look of apprehension, which I later learned was nervousness and fear of not being selected. She sat and talked in Spanish answering questions about why she wanted to own a home. She was a single mother and had heard about the program from friends who had been selected for the Habitat program. She had actually helped some of them complete the “sweat equity” hours and had seen and worked on a Habitat home. When she talked about the house she had seen, it was with tears in her eyes, she tried to maintain composure, but I could tell this was difficult for her. My heart went out to her as I witnessed her burning desire to get out of the house she was in and have a home she could call her own.

About this time, I noticed a piece of cardboard covering a hole in the bottom of the wall and a very large rat was making its way into the house. She also saw the rat and said this was not unusual and had maintained an understanding with the rat – it did not bother her and she would not bother it. Before we left, she was allowed to ask questions about the program or tell us anything that was on her mind about the process. She sat for a moment looking at her hands, and began to silently cry, she picked her head up and looked in my direction and told me to tell the group that she was willing to get on her knees and beg to be one of the families selected. OK, this was definitely the part where I could not hold back my tears, I saw a fellow human being and citizen of the world that wanted the same things we all want, a safe and decent place to live. The applicant was selected and has since moved into her brand new home in time to celebrate Christmas and she later told me that she really had something to celebrate.

Habitat for Humanity is always looking for volunteers to help on houses or to cook a meal for the people who volunteer. If you are looking for something to do that results in making a real difference in people’s lives, Habitat is the deal for you.