First person – Dori’s new life in Grande Prairie

Thank you for allowing me to share my family’s homeownership journey with you.

My name is Dori, and I have four amazing daughters ranging in age from 14 to 27.

In 2009, I moved back to Grande Prairie with my daughters. After a year of struggling to pay my rent and bills, I found a rental home with the Grande Spirit Foundation. I was better able to provide for my family with affordable housing, but had resigned myself to the fact that home ownership was out of my reach.

I advanced in my job, and we had a pleasant and happy life, but I was still unable to save for a down payment on a home of our own. In the spring of 2016, I received a phone call from one of the managers at the Grande Spirit Foundation. She told me to immediately apply for the Habitat for Humanity home that was going to soon be available in the area. I was a little nervous as I imagined my family owning our own home, but I soon filled out the application. The day we learned that I would become a homeowner was life changing. My daughters and I began working on our volunteer hours and making plans to move into our forever home. You could tell just how excited each of us was every time you saw us. Our life was about to change – for the better!

Finally, in the fall of 2016, the home was ready, and it was moving day. The sense of pride that we have in our home has been an incredible experience for myself and my children. We have been in our home for six years now, and I love knowing that every mortgage payment I make is an investment in our future. We no longer worry about rising rent payments or having to move. My daughters have a greater sense of security, making them happier and more successful in school and in life. Habitat for Humanity changed my life. It gave me an opportunity I believed to be out of reach, and I believe it’s important that other families like mine have access to affordable housing here in Grande Prairie that will change their lives as well.

To all the donors, staff and volunteers who made my dream of homeownership a reality, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have no idea how much this means to me and my girls!

Please donate today in support of Habitat Homeownership.