March is Women's History Month! Here at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, one way we're celebrating is by taking a look back at some of the inspiring stories of women Habitat homeowners.
Before you dive into the stories, a fun fact: the first time Women's history was recognized at the federal level was by President Jimmy Carter, the most famous Habitat Humanitarian! In 1980, after lobbying from a large coalition of women's groups and historians, President Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as Women's History Week (years later, it became Women's History Month).
Now, let's meet a few inspiring Habitat homeowners!
In 1990, when Betty became a single parent after a divorce, she considered moving back to Chicago to be closer to family. She never dreamed that, a year later, she'd become a proud Habitat homeowner in Minneapolis. “It was hard for me being a single mom,” she says. “When I saw the Habitat sign, that was a blessing in disguise.”
Betty's Habitat home gave her daughters, Lynnisha and Simone, the stability they needed to thrive. From then on, they didn't need to transfer schools. Best of all, they had a place to host friends.
“It was the place that me and my friends went to,” Simone says. “I spent 90% of my time (when I wasn’t in school) at home. Knowing that other people wanted to come there felt good. ‘Where are we going? I’m going to Simone’s house!’ friends would say. There was pride in that—like, this is home, it’s my home, and people like to come here.”
Knowing they would always have their Habitat home to come back to if things got tough, Lynnisha and Simone spread their wings and soared. Lynnisha found a fulfilling IT career, and Simone earned her Master's in Social Work. And as both daughters started growing their own families, they each followed their mother's footsteps and became homeowners.
“For us, that stability started in middle school—but for my kids, it’s all they know,” Lynnisha says. “There’s a lot of emotional overhead that our kids just don’t have to deal with. That’s something I’m very proud of.”
As a Program Manager for a Montessori School on St. Paul's East Side, Lindsay longed to put down roots in the community where her students live. But with the cost of housing skyrocketing, it felt like that dream would always remain out of reach. Then, Lindsay discovered Twin Cities Habitat's homeownership program with the option to buy a home on the open real estate market.
From the moment Lindsay submitted her Habitat homeownership application, she was surprised by how quickly and smoothly the process went.
“What stood out to me is the amount of people who work for organizations like Habitat and want people to get into homes,” Lindsay shares. “Just the care and empathy that they have and the resources that are available. It’s not every day that you have people saying, ‘let’s get you into a house’ and ‘how can we help you get to that point?’"
On a cold day in March 2023, Lindsay closed in the morning and then immediately moved in. She quickly felt connected to her home and her community. When a big snowstorm hit the week after she moved in, a neighbor shoveled her sidewalk. Even her 16-year-old Chihuahua Lily quickly fell in love with the home and found the energy to start playing with her toys again!
Lindsay is loving the process of putting down roots in her community. Her home is just a five-minute walk from work, so over lunch she can check on Lily. She's an avid gardener and is turning her yard into an edible landscape with native plants. She shares her story regularly because she wants everyone to know about Habitat.
“I fully believe that everyone deserves housing. How that looks is different for everyone, but everyone's basic needs deserve to be met.”
"[Homeownership] was the start of knowing that I'm worthy. That I can do more. I can bring more. I am more."
The seed for homeownership was planted early for LeAndra.
Her grandma bought a home in St. Paul after moving from Selma, Alabama. It’s where she raised LeAndra’s mother and her siblings. It was the family’s home base as they grew up and moved out. And, as her grandma got sick and her legs were amputated, it was where LeAndra’s mother took care of her. She planted a garden and cared for the home.
When LeAndra’s grandma passed away, the family also lost the home. Their anchor in the community was uprooted.
LeAndra longed to dig those roots again. She became determined to follow her grandma's legacy and become a homeowner herself. Her years of hard work paid off in 2019 when she became a Twin Cities Habitat homeowner. Now, LeAndra's giving her daughters and son that same security her grandma's home had given her. She also had hoped her home could be a place where she could support her own mom someday—which she has since been able to do.
“My biggest dream in purchasing a home was to be able to bring my mother home. You know moms—they raised us. They sacrifice. They do so much for their children. When that time comes, I want my mom to be comfortable and I want to be able to nurture and care for her the way she did for me growing up.”
Watch LeAndra's story below.
Those are just a few of the many inspiring stories from women who are Habitat homeowners! Click below to read more.
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