Trident Habitat Homeowner's Stories
Krista's Story
Krista has been living in her house for 10 years. Her Habitat home is a 3 bedroom, 1 1⁄2 bath, and she lives in the home with her son and daughter.
Before she received her Habitat home, Krista was a single mom of two living in a two- bedroom trailer. The floors in the trailer were falling apart and you had to be careful where you stepped. On occasion, someone would make a misstep and the floor collapsed beneath them. Water leaked in the windows and doors. Krista saw an ad for Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC) in the Berkeley Independent and decided it was time to try to get her family into a safer home. Krista’s mother encouraged her to apply with HFHBC and was very supportive of her daughter. Sadly, her mother passed before Krista was approved for the house, but Krista knows she would be very proud of her!
Krista says that the most rewarding aspect of being a Habitat homeowner is the satisfaction of having “had a hand in the building of her home and being there for all the hard work that was done on the house.” Krista always made it a priority to be there for her home build as often as she could; only missing two construction days because she was at work. She says that the best construction day that she had was the day they put the floor joists in. When they began clearing the area for the house to be built, the HFHBC team found a cannonball in the ground. It is now in the Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center.
When the house was finally finished, Krista says that the first night it was completed she and her children spent the night there even without the furniture. They took blankets and pillows and slept on the floor, enjoying the air conditioning.
Krista would advise future homeowners to go see other home builds before they decide to apply with HFHBC. This way, the family can truly appreciate all of the hard work that goes into a house build and they will know how much work and dedication they are going to have to put into their own house build.
Krista says that the most rewarding aspect of being a Habitat homeowner is the satisfaction of having “had a hand in the building of her home and being there for all the hard work that was done on the house.” Krista always made it a priority to be there for her home build as often as she could; only missing two construction days because she was at work. She says that the best construction day that she had was the day they put the floor joists in. When they began clearing the area for the house to be built, the HFHBC team found a cannonball in the ground. It is now in the Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center.
When the house was finally finished, Krista says that the first night it was completed she and her children spent the night there even without the furniture. They took blankets and pillows and slept on the floor, enjoying the air conditioning.
Krista would advise future homeowners to go see other home builds before they decide to apply with HFHBC. This way, the family can truly appreciate all of the hard work that goes into a house build and they will know how much work and dedication they are going to have to put into their own house build.
Joseph & Sandy's Story
Sandy and Joseph live in a two bathroom, 4 bedroom home in Moncks Corner. They have been living in their home for almost four years now.
If you stop by Sandy and Joseph’s house, you will usually see the whole family together. They have four children and three grandchildren with one on the way. The home is always filled with family and this is perhaps their favorite aspect of their home; the “togetherness” that they feel.
Before they received their Habitat home, the family lived in an overcrowded mobile home that was not structurally sound. They had a few instances of snakes making their way into the home. After hearing about Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC), Sandy knew it was time to get her family into a better home. Today, Sandy and Joseph have been living in their home for almost four years and they say it “still feels like a mansion [to them] because [they] had never owned a decent home before.”
They enjoy having guests over now and are proud of their home. Sandy is relieved not to feel embarrassed to have guests at her house. She no longer worries about her visitors “falling through the floor!” Joseph is quite the handy man and has taken care of the small maintenance issues around the house.
Sandy is very kind and sociable and is thinking about being a shepherd for a future partner family that will go through the program. Sandy and Joseph also plan to work on more HFHBC builds in the near future.
Before they received their Habitat home, the family lived in an overcrowded mobile home that was not structurally sound. They had a few instances of snakes making their way into the home. After hearing about Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC), Sandy knew it was time to get her family into a better home. Today, Sandy and Joseph have been living in their home for almost four years and they say it “still feels like a mansion [to them] because [they] had never owned a decent home before.”
They enjoy having guests over now and are proud of their home. Sandy is relieved not to feel embarrassed to have guests at her house. She no longer worries about her visitors “falling through the floor!” Joseph is quite the handy man and has taken care of the small maintenance issues around the house.
Sandy is very kind and sociable and is thinking about being a shepherd for a future partner family that will go through the program. Sandy and Joseph also plan to work on more HFHBC builds in the near future.
Billy & Jacquelyn's Story
Billy and Jacquelyn received their Habitat home in 2009. It is a 3 bedroom, 1 1⁄2 bath home. The house is occupied by the Swindles, their two sons, and Jacquelyn’s father.
Before receiving their Habitat home, the Swindles had recently moved to Goose Creek from Mississippi and lived with Jacquelyn’s three younger siblings and her father. The home was overcrowded and they had an infestation of cockroaches. There was also a very large amount of mold all over the house. Benjamin, the Swindles’ oldest son is allergic to mold and Jacquelyn and Billy were constantly worried about his health.
It wasn’t until Billy heard from a friend at work about Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC) that they decided it was time to apply for a house they could call their own. As luck would have it, the day after they heard about HFHBC was the first day of the application process for that year.
If you visit the Swindles house, you would see the impressive garden that Jacquelyn’s father maintains in the front yard. You would also probably see her two sons running around and enjoying the yard. Jacquelyn is a stay-at-home mom and being the mother of two young boys, she says she is used to “ducking to avoid Nerf darts flying around the room.”
When they go back to Mississippi to visit, the Swindles love knowing they have a home to return to here in South Carolina. She loves walking through the doorway and knowing this is a true home for her family.
It wasn’t until Billy heard from a friend at work about Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC) that they decided it was time to apply for a house they could call their own. As luck would have it, the day after they heard about HFHBC was the first day of the application process for that year.
If you visit the Swindles house, you would see the impressive garden that Jacquelyn’s father maintains in the front yard. You would also probably see her two sons running around and enjoying the yard. Jacquelyn is a stay-at-home mom and being the mother of two young boys, she says she is used to “ducking to avoid Nerf darts flying around the room.”
When they go back to Mississippi to visit, the Swindles love knowing they have a home to return to here in South Carolina. She loves walking through the doorway and knowing this is a true home for her family.