Svetlana and Faye’s Story

A Story 22 Years in the Making 

Svetlana and her daughter Faye are about to become homeowners. Soon, they’ll move into their new home at Pathways at Heritage Park in Olathe, KS. It will be the first home either of them has ever owned. 

“I’m just very thankful that I was able to do this with Habitat,” Svetlana said. “Everyone that I’ve been working with has been extremely nice and compassionate.” 

Twenty-two years ago, Svetlana was pregnant with Faye and raising a toddler, in what she calls an impossible situation. She raised her children largely on her own, and every year she said the same thing: someday, we’re going to move. 

“I always wanted a house of my own,” she said. “It only took 22 years.” 

Faye has been by her side the whole way. “My mom’s my rock,” she said. “She’s my best friend. She’s my everything.” 

What home means now 

For Svetlana, owning a home means financial security: no more bracing for rent increases or a landlord deciding to sell. It also means peace of mind, a home she can one day leave to Faye. “It’s a gift of stability and a home,” she said. 

For Faye, it means a fresh start. “It gives me a sense of security, a sense of belonging,” she said. “This is my space. This is my home.” 

Making it theirs 

Ask what they’re most excited to do in the new house, and the answers come fast. 

First up, decorate. For the first time, they can paint and hang things on the walls however they want, and they’ve been building wish lists for weeks. They’ve already split the house: Faye takes the downstairs, Svetlana takes the upstairs. 

Faye is planning her own space downstairs, already nicknamed the Faye Cave. As a night owl, she’s looking forward to staying up watching movies without waking her mom. Svetlana has her eye on the front porch, something she’s never had.

“Maybe in a few years from now, when I’m an old lady, I’ll sit there with my cup of coffee and watch the neighborhood children,” she laughed. 

She already has company lined up. While volunteering on the build, she met a future neighbor, and the two have been texting ever since. 

“I feel like there’s a blossoming community happening here,” Faye said. “A lot of support.” 

Watching her mom get here has been its own lesson for Faye. “I just want to honor my mom, how proud I am of her for doing it all these years and finally making her dreams come true,” she said. “It’s never too late to start again.”