“Habitat is giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity to build generational wealth.”

Tawanda Lemon is a single mother and a Patient Care Tech at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She and her 12-year-old daughter, Miracle, will soon move into their brand-new forever home with help from the Habitat for Humanity program. Miracle is your typical tween and she loves shopping, makeup, and her iPad. She enjoys visits to her grandmother and friend’s houses. When describing herself and her daughter, Tawanda says “We are highly motivated people. We are very independent, outgoing, and fun-loving individuals.”

Our community is in an affordable-housing crisis and Tawanda and her daughter have faced many challenges in today’s housing market. “We are currently living in a home with several structural deficiencies,” Tawanda describes. “The front of the house feels like a sauna due to AC issues, a leaking roof, tiles coming up from the floors. and leaking plumbing. Due to AC issues my power bill is almost $500.00 a month. My water bill is $100.00 a month. It is very hard to save with the bills being so costly.”

Being accepted into the Habitat program was a dream come true for Tawanda. “My first thought was ‘Thank God for this opportunity’. I prayed first and then thanked the Habitat team. I made a promise to myself that I will never give up no matter how hard it gets. Also, I promised to have patience and ask for help as needed.”

In her new home, Tawanda is excited to not have to move again. She will not have a landlord that wont fix any maintenance issues. “My daughter will grow up in a stable environment. As for me, the most important thing is building generational wealth.”