25 days, 25 stories: A Dream to a Home

Each day from October 5 to October 29, 2009 we will be posting a new story in celebration of Habitat for Humanity of Omaha’s 25th anniversary. These stories have come to us from people who have been involved with Habitat Omaha in a variety of ways at some point in the past 25 years. We hope that you enjoy these reflections, some old and some new, about Habitat Omaha and that they inspire or renew the spirit of service in you. If you have a story of your own that you would like to share please send it to us at buildinghope.omaha@gmail.com.

A Dream to A Home

(Written in 2008)

When I first found out that we would be receiving a home I was ecstatic. I could not believe my mother’s decision to apply for a home in 2006 with Habitat for Humanity. She always talked about getting a house for her family, but I would never see any reaction to all that talk. I learned about the commitment that we would have to put into our new house, sweat equity, meetings, money, to name a few. This never stopped my mother or me from getting us where we are at today. Time passed by as we quickly began a relationship with Habitat that continues to this date.

When we knew we were getting a house, we also knew that there would be hours of work that we needed to commit to other houses, called sweat equity. I was informed that as a child to the homeowner I could put in as many as 250 of the 350 hours of sweat equity necessary to get the location of our house and begin construction. I had recently come back from my first semester of college at Berkeley and decided that this opportunity would be ideal to help me commit my time and effort. After a month without finding a job, this partnership helped me do more with my time.

My mother had also felt helpless because of the devastation created by my father. My mother used to own a beautiful house that she and her husband had built together. This house was made for two families, with marble floors, vaulted ceilings and plenty of gorgeous space. He worked in the U.S. for years at a time, coming back periodically. With every return they grew distant, later to realize they weren’t in love anymore. After seven years of marriage came the divorce, my father took the house away from her, including anything else my mother owned. She vowed to keep her children if it would be the only thing he let her keep. Twenty years later, this opportunity [through Habitat Omaha] brought redemption for my mother, as well as new hope for a better life for all of us.

Three weeks passed by, and I had already accumulated the 75 hours of work that was required on other houses so that we could select a plot of land. I dedicated most of my time searching for the ideal spot that would make my mother happy. Even though there was a list of city donated lots, I was given approval to do research on my own to find an abandoned lot, owned by the city that would suit our needs. It took me weeks to find information that I received from Douglas County, the internet, and Habitat. Then another two weeks to drive my mother around to the lots to get a firsthand look at her opinion of the location. We drove up to one abandoned house owned by the city on 15th Street, my mother started laughing and smiling at the idea that before long she would own a home again. I was happy to see her smile and know that my efforts were helping to create her happiness.

Seven months pass as we settled with a lot on 2015 Madison Circle that my mother chose. This lot was ideal since it was close to familiarity, school for my mother and brother, and the Hispanic community. Once we informed Habitat of our decision, they came back to us with a problem. Even though both my mother and I had already completed the hours required to start building our own house, we would have to wait another year for the lot we selected because that particular lot was not donated by the city yet and there were other litigations that were being worked out. Our other option would be to have our home built on a lot that was farther north, an option that we didn’t like because we would be far from where we grew up. After much discussion we decided it would be best to wait for the ideal location that we wanted, no matter how long it took.

My mother waited an extra year before construction could begin on her house. She was hopeful for this opportunity since the moment she applied with Habitat. My mother would tell me that she could wait even longer if necessary and that the reality of a home that Habitat presented was enough to make her patiently wait. All that waiting paid off.

Construction on our new house had begun on August 28th 2008, two years after her application was approved for a home. I have been going every day to build with the coalition named after their religious ideologies. Faithful builders, signed on as the only group to build my mother’s house. They were and have been dedicated to building an unforgettable home. For Five weeks the dream is becoming a reality from the ground up. This accomplishment helped me to cherish volunteer work and gave me a purpose. My mother also has new meaning to her life now that she will be once again a homeowner. By October 25th my mother will receive the keys to her new home. I can only imagine how ecstatic she will feel to have a place to call her own.

Omar Vargas
Habitat Omaha Partner Family Member

 
Visit the new habitatomaha.org to learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, find out about volunteer opportunities and to donate now.