Drakeima's Family Story

Drakeima Ingram moved her family from Chicago to Minneapolis in 1995, hoping to find a better life. Since then, they have been at the mercy of bad landlords, dealing with foreclosures, court appearances, broken appliances, rodents, and maintenance issues. "Everything was like a bad joke," she recalls. "It was too much stress, just too much."

Becoming a Habitat homebuyer has been a long time coming; this was Drakeima’s third Habitat application, having previously applied in 1998 and 2003. Of her long journey, she says, "I had faith. I didn’t just leave it alone. I did my homework, and I tried again." Her determination has paid off, and she and Robbie were selected by Habitat. With the help of her eldest son, Robbie (19), the family – including Robbin (17), Rodney (14), and Romeo (6) – will soon have a house of their own.

"When they called to tell me, I thought I was going to faint." She could barely believe there was light at the end of the tunnel. "I was in a dream." So what’s the first thing she’ll do in her new house? "Fall on my knees, pray, and jump for joy!"

Drakeima is looking forward to sharing a sense of community with her new neighbors, which is something the family has not had before. "I don’t know anybody on our block," Drakeima says, adding that in her family’s current neighborhood, there are piles of garbage in the alley, neighbors that steal mail, and crime that causes her concern for her children. She says about her kids, "I want the best for them."

The family is tight-knit, but says Drakeima, "I think [the house] will bring us even closer." They can’t wait for Friday family nights in their new home, playing board games, making snacks, and watching movies together. "We crack jokes with each other," Robbie adds, while Drakeima laughs. "We’re friends, but they know I’m still their mama," she counters.

Her hope is that being homeowners will provide the stability necessary for her children to be happy and successful in life. "I don’t have perfect kids, but they’re all ‘A’ students," she notes proudly. She knows her family will be better off when they purchase their Habitat home and she concludes, "This is our house for life."