*Names changed to protect family’s confidentiality
Dear Habitat Supporters in Lake and McHenry Counties,
I still can’t believe I get to write this letter.
For years, I was doing everything I could just to keep a roof over our heads. I was working so hard but our rent kept going up and I’d lie awake at night wondering how if I’d ever be able to give my kids the stability I knew they deserved. Homeownership felt like something other people got to do. Not single moms like me.
But then you showed up for us. It’s not just the house (although my kids now have their own rooms and believe me, that’s everything to them!). It’s knowing there were people out there who believed I could do this.
The budgeting classes taught me things I never learned growing up. Now I’m finally saving for retirement. I’m teaching all my kids how to manage money so that they can have more security than I did.
You didn’t just change where we live. You changed our lives.
Every single day, when I walk through our front door, I think about you. Strangers who cared enough to help a family you’ll never meet. People who believed we were worth investing in.
My kids will inherit this house someday. More than that, they’re going to inherit the knowledge that people are good and that they can dream big.
This holiday season, I hope you get to feel even a fraction of the joy and gratitude that fills me up every single day. Thank you for seeing me and my girls. Thank you for caring.
Hope your holidays are as happy as ours!
Katarina Poplar
You make it possible.
Thank you to all of our supporters who walk hand-in-hand with families like Katarina’s to make their dreams a reality. You cannot imagine the impact you have had on the lives of people in our community.
Now, you have an incredible opportunity to do even more. This holiday season, a generous foundation is matching all new and increased donations—doubling your impact when families need it most. Will you help us make this season truly special for more families in our community?