A Hand Up (continued)

“The primary issue is that we have a six-month requirement to do the first 100 hours of sweat equity and save up $500 toward closing,” says director of family services Jeremy Foulks. “This six months is the hardest hurdle for families to get through. We wanted to bring in the PALs earlier to help motivate the families.”

The motivational factor can be especially powerful when a PAL and the homeowner family have experiences in common, such as the case in which an applicant family from Cameroon was paired with a Muslim PAL from the Middle East, Foulks says. Having a common religious background and experience with the particular stresses of immigrating helped the family and PAL form a strong relationship.

However, even PALs that don’t seem to have many similarities with homeowner families can still forge a connection as they share what they’ve learned about homeownership and learn from the families, as well.

“Typically, we’re looking for someone who is willing to make a commitment of one year to 18 months, plus up to a year after closing,” Foulks says. “This long-term commitment is the biggest challenge in finding prospective PALs, since it can be intimidating to both the family and volunteer. But even though it can be intimidating, what you put into the program is nothing compared to what you get out of it.”

Since she moved into her Habitat house about a year and a half ago, Tamanda has, in a sense, come full circle and now volunteers as a mentor to another prospective Habitat homeowner. She often gives the same advice she received — “Be patient!”

“I think I’m going to continue to volunteer after her,” Tamanda says. “I think I’m going to get bold and get two families.

“It’s not every day you get a decent, affordable house. It’s a blessing to give back.”