Shelter empowers parents

Every child needs a decent place to call home.

Instinctively, we all know that. Mario Fourney knows it from experience.

Meet Mario and hear how his children have blossomed in their Habitat for Humanity home.

The quiet street where the Fourneys now live is a big change from the sounds of gunshots that used to keep the kids up at night — and fearful. Now that they have plenty of space, the children are discovering their strengths and, maybe more importantly, their passions. Art, math, reading. What’s more, the family is finding things vital to building a better life: health, optimism, stability.

These are the opportunities that follow when a family partners with Habitat to build or improve a place to call home. We know that safe and decent shelter is absolutely critical to creating a cycle of possibilities and progress. The Fourneys are living proof, and I’ve met so many more like them in my more than 10 years with Habitat.

We all have treasured stories that make Habitat’s impact personal and powerful. But there’s also research to reinforce the positive results of stable housing. Habitat surveys show improved grades, better financial health, parents who are more sure that they can meet their family’s needs. Studies conducted by academics and experts draw a straight line between housing quality and the well-being of children.

Shelter empowers parents, and every single child deserves to feel that strength and stability day after day. That’s what we envision when we talk about a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

With your help, we can move one step closer to that world. Your gift — 20 a month or any amount you can afford — will help put a roof over a child’s head. And not just any roof.

Eight-year-old Kevin Ksor knows how important a good roof can be. Kevin once lived with 16 other relatives in a three-bedroom rental. When it rained, he remembers putting bowls out to catch the water that leaked into the living room.

Today, Kevin lives in a Habitat house. No more bowls. Kevin has noticed another big change. His parents smile now.

We all know that children like Kevin need a decent place to call home. Your help makes that happen.

— Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International CEO