Stories Archives - Habitat For Humanity Edmonton

From a cold basement to a cozy home: Amy’s homeownership journey

In 2018, Amy and her daughter, Sam, moved to Canada with the few possessions they had, and settled into an apartment in Edmonton. Moving two more times in five years, […]

Why Grant loves volunteering at ReStore

For the past six years, Grant has dedicated his time and energy to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, and his commitment has made a lasting impact, particularly at ReStore. Listen […]

How Habitat empowered Mansimran to start a new chapter

For the longest time, Mansimran can remember wanting to own a home. Her childhood was marked by frequent moves, so she rarely experienced stability or permanence in one home. As […]

Behind the scenes with Ogo at ReStore

While shopping at ReStore, you might run into Ogo. Whether you’re looking to purchase a much-needed item or searching for a unique piece, Ogo will stop at nothing to help […]

Keys to happiness: Donnah’s homeownership story

On the night of March 31, Donnah, her husband Alvin, and their daughter Chloe were wide awake. Laying in their sleeping bags on an empty living room floor, the three […]

From Retirement to ReStore: Jack’s Volunteer Journey

When Jack retired, he was looking for something to keep him busy. In no time at all, he found ReStore and has been volunteering ever since! Now, he spends his […]

ReStore Customer Appreciation Day winners!

On June 15, we celebrated our wonderful ReStore shoppers by offering 30% off at all four ReStore locations across the Edmonton area! This special event was our way of saying […]

Saturday, June 15th is ReStore’s Customer Appreciation Day! (30% OFF)

Get ready, Edmonton! Habitat Edmonton is thrilled to announce our second annual Customer Appreciation Day on June 15th! This is your chance to score amazing deals, win fantastic prizes, and […]

Meaning of Home Grade Six Runner-Up!

We are thrilled to reveal the grade 6 runner-up winner of Habitat Canada’s 2024 Meaning of Home contest! This year, Rihanna Robin has touched our hearts with her beautiful poem […]

Donor Spotlight: Aaron Robinson

Aaron Robinson started working in real estate to help people. When he joined the Realtors® Community Foundation, he realized the tremendous impact their support had in his own community. Here’s […]

Putting down roots: Michael’s journey to homeownership

Since moving from his parents’ house seven years ago, Michael struggled to find a safe place to call home. Although he always had a roof over his head, he was […]

Gerry’s volunteer story

After retiring, Gerry was looking for a place to spend his newfound free time. ReStore offered the perfect spot to volunteer and utilize his skills. These days, Gerry spends his […]

Breaking the Rent Cycle: Muhammad and Sana’s Homeownership Story

When Muhammad and his wife, Sana, completed their application for a Habitat home, they were filled with both anxiety and excitement. This was a big step for the couple who […]

At Habitat Edmonton, we’re celebrating National Volunteer Week – presented by Servus Credit Union

“Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” – Helen Dyer […]

How Jefferson discovered the key to affordable homeownership

On a warm and sunny day in 2022, Jefferson drove around his town of Rocky Mountain House. Despite the lovely weather, his thoughts were clouded with concern for his wife, […]

Homeownership: even better than Hammou and Ibtissam imagined

When you think of home, you might imagine a house or a duplex, filled with the laughter and love. The house may be big, small, blue, white, and one storey, […]

From shelves to lawns: how Geoff volunteers at ReStore

Geoff is surrounded by family members who love to volunteer. While Geoff was growing up, his mother volunteered anywhere she could, and his wife regularly spends time at seniors’ programs, […]

From building homes to stocking shelves: why Elaine volunteers at ReStore

For the past 16 years, Elaine has spent her free time volunteering at Habitat Edmonton. She began volunteering when, after retiring as a teacher, she was looking for volunteer opportunities. […]

How Karen and Kurt became homeowners

Karen, pictured above, holding a “welcome home” blanket after receiving her keys.

Walks in the park and at ReStore: why Henry volunteers

Henry is an avid walker. Only a few minutes from his home is a beautiful park, Bunchberry Meadows, which he regularly visits with his wife. While there, Henry spends time […]

Volunteering in all corners of Habitat

Meet John, one of Habitat Edmonton’s longtime volunteers. John’s journey with Habitat began in 2011, when he noticed an advertisement for volunteers on a Habitat Edmonton build site. He was […]

How homeownership made transformational change in Tesfamichael’s life

Tesfamichael, his wife Senait, and their three children moved into their Habitat home in August. Transitioning from a small townhouse, his family was amazed at the amount of space they […]

Why Larry loves volunteering at ReStore

Larry was newly retired and looking for ways to fill his time. He had learned about ReStore and inquired about volunteering, but decided it was the place for him when […]

Krystle’s long road to homeownership

The night of July 18, Krystle laid in bed wide awake, too excited to sleep. It was raining, but the overcast skies didn’t darken her bright and sunny attitude because […]

Chuck’s love for ReStore

When Chuck isn’t working on and showing off his 1921 Ford Model T, you can find him supporting several charitable organizations. Chuck regularly donates blood and visits seniors’ homes to […]

A Family’s Life Transformed

When Wendy reflects on life before she owned her Habitat home, she can hardly believe how much has changed. When she first came to Canada and settled in Edson, finding […]

Building affordable homeownership together

For over a decade, the REALTORS® Community Foundation (RCF) has supported Habitat Edmonton. With their help, Habitat Edmonton has empowered hundreds of families to take control of their future and […]

How homeownership transformed Cheryl’s life

Cheryl’s memory of the first time she stepped into her Habitat home is crystal clear. When she received the news that she would become a homeowner, she was too excited […]

Volunteering That Drives Positive Change

Three years ago, Joe received an invitation from a friend to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Little did he know that a single day of volunteering would turn into […]

Amy’s Journey to Independence

Amy and her daughter, Isabelle, lived in low-income housing in Grande Prairie, Alberta. The longer Amy spent in her apartment, the more she realized it was not where she wanted […]

Donna’s and Albert’s journey to empowerment

Donna and Albert sat on the floor of their empty apartment, filled with excitement and anticipation about moving. Having just received keys to their Habitat home, all their possessions were […]

Re-Inventing at ReStore

If you’ve ever visited ReStore and chatted about upcycling with a volunteer, you might have met Inez! Five years ago, Inez retired and was searching for somewhere to volunteer. When […]

Unpacked for good: Rhea’s Story

How can we better support our kids to be confident and free to express themselves? Having the freedom to roam, make friendships and provide a safe and stable environment can transform hearts and minds. Rhea’s dream was for a home where her son and daughter could fully unpack without fear of moving and switching schools, and her life changed when she became a Habitat homeowner.

Free to be me: Amanda’s Story

How are you living unboxed? The answer varies from person to person, but at Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, we believe that living unboxed means having the freedom and the space to do something new that you have always wanted to do. Starting a garden, travelling, decorating rooms without restrictions – anything is possible!

Finding Home: Emerald’s Story

Have you ever had a Goldilocks moment when you stumble across something that feels just right? For Emerald, seeing her home for the first time was that moment. “It felt like a sign. For some reason, there’s a part of me that was drawn to the home, out of all the homes that were available at that time, there was something about that home when I walked in that felt like this is the home that I can raise my children in.”