Welcome home, Jennifer!

“There’s no more moving around. No more worrying about stability,” says Jennifer, the mother of four who dreams of providing safe, stable housing for her children. “I want to mold my children into their best selves and becoming a homeowner will take the weight off my shoulders and provide a space to do so.”

Growing up in foster care, Jennifer never had a stable place to call home. She bounced around a lot, was exposed to drugs at a young age and eventually dropped out of school. As an adult, Jennifer’s drug addiction controlled her life—so much so that she temporarily lost custody of her children. “When you’re an addict, drugs are the only thing that matters. I let myself flip so far into a hole, there were no stairs getting out of that hole. That’s when I decided I’m not going to let that be me.”

Jennifer’s family currently lives in transitional housing at Amethyst Place in Kansas City.  There she has worked towards a better life by earning her GED, attending college and starting a career in healthcare. “Amethyst Place has saved our lives, and I knew it was time to start searching for our next steps,” she says. 

Those next steps led Jennifer to Habitat KC where she is hopeful and excited to build something her children have never had—a home of their own. Having experienced so much instability while growing up, several of Jennifer’s children struggle with depression and PTSD. Three of her children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and her middle son, Marco, is autistic and lives with several motor tic disorders and deficits. 

Jennifer believes homeownership will change her family for the better. “My kids can grow up in one place feeling safe and secure.”

Among many things, Jennifer is most looking forward to getting a pet when they move into their own home. She says, “My kids and I deserve to have a therapy animal. I believe it would make our family complete.” Her children also cannot wait to have their own rooms and have the opportunity to decorate and paint them to highlight their personalities.

“Life hasn’t been easy, but I’ve had the opportunity to rewrite my story. Now, I spend the majority of my time caring for others, whether that be my family or patients, and I have built a path to have better health, financial freedom, housing independence, and a safe and secure place for my family to grow our future.”