Behind the Scenes:
Meet the Homeowners in Habitat's New PSA Campaign

By Heather Wellman

Coming soon to a television near you is Habitat for Humanity's new public service announcement campaign.The new 30- and 60-second television spots feature Habitat homeowners from Missouri, California and Georgia in a style different from any other PSA produced for or by Habitat.

"We wanted to let homeowners tell their story," says Steve Braaten, director of Video Services at Habitat for Humanity International."We hope that hearing homeowner stories in their own words will really open viewers to receive the Habitat message."

The Palaez, Gallagher and Burden families live in three different geographical areas, and while their stories are different, each carries the same message: renewed hope and a better life through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity.Meet them below, then look for their faces and stories on a television set near you.

	Mary Gallagher lives with her sister and children in a Habitat house in Springfield, Mo. They are featured in a series of public service announcements airing this winter.

The Gallagher Family, Springfield, Mo.

Mary Gallagher doesn't see anything special about her life. She says she does what she must to get by, but many see it differently. On her own, this 25-year-old is raising three children, one of whom is disabled, and her 16-year-old sister.

Gallagher works her shift job assembling circuit boards. Her home was cramped and didn't adequately house her and her four family members.To afford rent, she had taken on three roommates, and roaches also occupied the home. All eight people shared a two-bedroom apartment.

Now Mary and her family live in a new Habitat house in a Habitat community that college students helped build.

"Habitat has truly healed my family, as it has so many others," says Gallagher. "Not only has Habitat helped me gain a beautiful new home, but also a brighter, healthier future for my children. Thank you so much for your kind and loving hearts.Without people like you, my family would still be lost in the crowd."

Virginia Burden and her granddaughter, Ebony, on a Habitat build site in Georgia.

The Burden Family, Griffin, Ga.

Virginia Burden thought her days of child rearing were over and had settled into a comfortable life of being a doting grandmother. She worked full time as a nurse's assistant at the local hospital and had plenty of hobbies.Then one night, her daughter was killed in a car accident. Overnight,Virginia began the task of raising children all over again.

With the addition of her grandchildren, the small home in which she and several other relatives lived was insufficient.Virginia turned to Habitat for Humanity. An all-woman team came out to help her build her new home, and many of the nurses and doctors with whom Virginia works came out to help hammer nails as well.

When Virginia's home was dedicated, the children danced in front of the home. She says she never thought she would be able to provide her grandchildren with the life they deserved after their mother passed away, but now in her new Habitat home,Virginia says she finally feels as though she and her family are headed in the right direction.

	Alfonso and Barbara Palaez at home in California. Visit our online video gallery to view the PSA's.

The Palaez Family, Stanton, Calif.

Barbara and Alfonso Palaez immigrated from Mexico several years ago in search of a better life for their family.Alfonso works two jobs as a warehouse worker and pizza deliverer, while Barbara works hard raising their five children.

Life in the United States has not always been easy for Barbara and Alfonso. Because making ends meet in California is a difficult task, even for those whose incomes are not low, the Palaez family lived in substandard housing--the only housing they could afford.

In their one-bedroom apartment, the smell of sewage and cigarette smoke constantly reminded them of their surroundings. The children couldn't leave the apartment because neighborhood gang activity was always present. Beyond an unpleasant and unsafe environment, the Palaez family also confronted cramped quarters, rotten windows and gaping holes in the walls.

The couple agrees that it was really a blessing to move into their new three-bedroom Habitat house, where they enjoy a much nicer neighborhood and the children attend better schools. Since moving into their home, the children ride their bikes and have a place set aside just to study.

Barbara already has started to plant roots in the new home--for her flower garden, but more importantly for her family.