Mike is a devoted father of two daughters, ages 13 and 12. But the trailer he rents cannot protect his family. The home has no heat or air conditioning. During the winter, it freezes and during the summer, it is unbearably hot. There are significant mold issues and unsafe conditions he doesn’t want his girls exposed to. Therefore, Mike doesn’t allow his daughters to come visit. He travels to them instead. Rather than being a place of refuge, Mike’s rental is what he’s trying to protect his daughters from most.

Mike came to Habitat to rebuild his dream of being with family. In addition to his 2 young daughters, Mike is also a father of 4 grown children and a grandfather. His new Habitat home will allow Mike to celebrate family milestones the way they were intended – together. As we celebrated Mike’s Groundbreaking earlier this month, Mike also broke ground on a new chapter where memories are made and legacies are built in a safe, affordable home of his own.

Home is more than a structure.

For many of us, home represents safety, belonging, and legacy. At its best, it’s the foundation for a child’s first steps and the shelter for a family’s big dreams. At its bare minimum, it should be protection from the elements.

But for so many renters in our community, their hard-earned income is being lost to a living situation that doesn’t meet their basic needs.

Every day, families across our community partner with Habitat Catawba Valley to build stronger futures through homeownership, preserve hope through critical repairs, and create financial resiliency through community education classes.

Together, we build pathways of change.

Habitat Catawba Valley is a faithful partner of The Bolick Foundation