Working toward a better future

Heather Evans and United Way of Marion County Strong Families Director Pebbles Vance. [Submitted photo]

After a long journey toward stability and independence, Heather Evans and her children, 16-year-old Logan and 5-month-old Eli, finally settled into their new Habitat for Humanity of Marion County home in Summerfield. It has been a month since they moved in but the joy still radiates from their smiles.

“Logan is so thrilled he can’t stop hugging me,” Evans said. “He now has friends come over and enjoys having his own room.”

It has been 10 years since the Evans family lived independently and, during that time, they had to schedule showers, ask permission to hang pictures and felt restricted in inviting friends over. The change has been liberating, but it did not happen overnight; it required 550 hours of “sweat equity,” working alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers and staff as they built the new home.

Evans said her journey began almost two years ago, when HFHMC staff recommended she join United Way of Marion County’s Strong Families initiative. The program is a year-long financial stability course that helps people increase their income, reduce their debt and get stable housing.

“The Strong Families budgeting classes helped me keep myself on track,” Evans said.

Education and support from her Strong Families Success Coach, Pebbles Vance, were instrumental in her achieving home ownership and Tori Arens, HFHMC’s Family Services director, walked alongside Evans, helping fill out paperwork and securing a loan.

“Heather has persevered. She’s had many ups and downs, and she could have quit, but with Pebbles’ help she achieved her goals. The community support is instrumental to success,” Arens said.

The community came out in force to welcome the Evans family into their new home. Neighbors showed up with pies and shears. HFHMC staffers were there to remind everyone of the hard work and prayer that went into this homeownership.

At the wall raising, scripture verses had been written on the studs of the walls. Before the keys were handed over to Evans on move-in day, every staff member and community stakeholder passed around the keys and offered words of encouragement and blessings. Just when Evans reached out to receive her keys, HFHMC President/CEO Rob Peters asked everyone to lay hands on the home’s walls and one last prayer was offered.

Then, with tears streaming down her face, Evans thanked everyone.

Evans, who for the past 13 years has worked as a certified nursing assistant with Hospice of Marion County and is used to caring for others, was overwhelmed with the community support.

“The hard work is worth it. I stuck with it and in the end, it is all worth it,” Evans said.

To learn more about Strong Families and other United Way of Marion County programs, go to uwmc.org

Habitat for Humanity of Marion County President/CEO Rob Peters and others pray a blessing over the new home of Heather Evans and her children. [Submitted photo]