Hi, my name is Manuela, my husband’s name is Misael and our children’s names are Daisy (10), Misael Jr. (6), and Yahir (1) who is the baby of my family.

Our kids are the most important thing in our lives and this is why we want to become homeowners, so our children can have their own bedrooms. My daughter would like to invite her friends and cousins for a sleep-over and Misael Jr. would like to have a yard to run and play with his little brother Yahir and his cousins, but the most special thing for our children is to have a dog!

Thank you HABITAT!  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all the volunteers, to all the donors and to all the people that make up this program for making our family’s dream and many families’ dreams come true!

Thank you again Habitat!

I’m a single mother with three children. We came from a bad situation, so we had to move to the only place we had — my parent’s basement. Their basement is ok but my kids need their own space. When my children cry about living in the basement, I tell them “Don’t cry I promise one day we will have a safe beautiful place to live.” They smile and ask me, “Do you promise mom?” I tell them, “Yes, I promise.” After three years, thanks to Habitat for Humanity, our dream is coming true. When we got the call telling us we were accepted we screamed, jumped up and down and my kids said, “Mom we are going to have a home!!!”

My kids can’t wait to have a room with their own bed. For the first time, they will have a place that they can call our home. Thank you Habitat for helping people achieve their dreams!! God bless you all!!

Thank you all for being here to help build our house.  We are amazed and delighted to have such a wonderful team working with us.

We would like to introduce our family to you:   Abdiwahid, Ayan, and our three children, ages 11, two and one.  My wife and I met in Minneapolis.  After knowing each other for a while, it was time for her to introduce me to her family.  When I met her brother, we realized that we had actually been neighbors in Somalia.  To get married in Somalia, the family of the person you are marrying is very important.  So discovering that we already knew each other’s family helped deepen our relationship and made the path to our wedding easier.   After we married, we moved to Madison.

I work at UW Health as a laboratory technician, and Ayan works as a caregiver for seniors.  Our children play, learn and grow.   They are excited about having a yard to play in.  Family is everything to us and we are glad to have a home where we can be part of a community and raise our children in a safe neighborhood.

Thank you to everyone for your hard work on behalf of our family.

Abdiwahid Arab and Ayan Gedow

My name is Amanda I have a five-year-old daughter named Analiyah. As a single mother, I’ve had to carry on a lot of responsibilities which over time became over-whelming for me while working full time and struggling to make ends meet. I was very fortunate to stay with my mother when it came to the point of needing somewhere to live. I am very excited about the opportunity Habitat of Humanity of Dane County has given me and I feel tremendously blessed.

I’ve dreamed of being a home owner but never thought I as a single parent could manage such a responsibility and now it’s happening. I’m achieving my next milestone. I feel that Habitat is an amazing program that makes dreams like mine come true. I finally have my own home. My daughter has a place she can call her own. It’s our own home for life and I’m looking forward to the rewards a homeowner brings. Everyone in my family is so proud of me and I have a ton more motivation to conquer all my ambitions in life. I’m very excited to paint our rooms and decorate my home, which I could not do when renting. I am ready to have family gatherings and enjoy my own home.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone that has helped build, and fix up homes for Habitat. Without your time and efforts as well as my own none of this would be possible. During this journey I have met a lot of great kind hearted people that are willing to help others achieve their goals. Habitat is great program. I’m so glad that this program is available for home buyers.

Amanda Villalpando

I would like to start by saying, “thank you.” My children and I are extremely happy and feel so blessed to be given this opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. It really is a dream come true.

My name is Theresa and I am the proud mother of three very energetic little boys. Tarus (TJ), 4, and Jaydan and Jordan, 2. I work full-time at the UW hospital where I have been employed for eight years.

My children and I enjoy spending time outdoors. They enjoy swimming, playing at the park, riding bikes, and playing football. They also love animals so we spend a lot of time at the zoo.

I am really looking forward to building my home and also working with other families on building their homes. This is such an amazing experience and I am so grateful to be a part of it. I cannot say thank you enough to Habitat and all the volunteers and donors for making home ownership possible for me and my family.

Thanks again for everything.

My name is Vanessa. I am 29 and I have three beautiful children. As a single parent, I have struggled in my life.

I decided to go back to school for a medical assistant position. I was working full time and also going to school at night. It was really challenging because I didn’t have time to spend with my family. Sometimes I would only see my kids when it was time for bed. But because I have wonderful and supportive people around me, I was able to finish my two-year program. Now I have a better job and more time to be with my kids.

My family and I have always dreamed of having our own home. My kids always ask me, “When are we going to be able to have a house?” I heard of Habitat for Humanity through a friend. She explained to me how and where to go to apply. It was almost unbelievable that I was going to have the opportunity of finally having a house for my family.   A few weeks after the meeting, I was so anxious to know if I qualified and “YES,” I received the phone call approving my application. I was so happy. I could not believe it. Our dream is now true because Habitat for Humanity is able to help us provide a safe and stable place to live.

Thank you to all the members of Habitat for helping put a smile on the face of my family. We really appreciate all the efforts and good faith of every individual who is part of Habitat for Humanity.

It’s because of Habitat for Humanity that I can tell this beautiful story. Thank you to all of you.

The Rodriguez Family

Hello, my name is Trina Protz and I am the mother of Kadijah, Naomi and Ta’Niyah.  We also have a 5 pound family dog that is a Yorkie/Shitzu mix named Lola.

Kadijah is 17, and will be a senior at East High this fall.  After high school she would like to pursue a degree in education and work with children in a school environment who have autism. In her spare time she loves to read and hang out with friends.

Naomi is 11.  She will be going into 6^th grade middle school this fall.  She takes pride in being a leader for other children in her school.  In her spare time she likes to watch TV and play on the computer.

Niyah is 2.  She loves to play outside with friends and play with her dog Lola.  She is looking forward to moving and having her own room and not having to share it with her mom.

I, have a degree in Human Services but have chose to go into the transportation field.  I work at Metro Transit.  I was so excited when I got the news that our family was accepted that I told everyone I could at Metro the news.  Lots of hugs and handshakes were given to me.  Although when I was younger I never wanted to own my own home.  I always said I did not want to be tied down.  The older I get the more I realize that I want a place that the girls and I can officially say… This is OUR home.

On behalf of my family I would like to give a BIG thank you to Habitat staff, volunteers and sponsors.  We are so excited to start the journey of becoming a Habitat Homeowner.

I am a single mother to two beautiful children my son is 14 years old who is just venturing into the start of the high school career. He likes sports and music. My daughter is 5 years old and is getting ready for Kindergarten this fall. She loves helping me with cooking, likes arts projects and spending times at the Zoo. Both of my children enjoy reading and they are doing very well at school. They are polite and very friendly. We have a strong family values on Respect, Loving, Caring and Sharing. My children are my joy of life.

To own a home for me is a dream come true and Habitat for Humanity has given me the gift of Hope. The ultimate goal of each parent is to get for your children a permanent place of your very own that they can call “HOME.”

Having my own home is an important step in achieving stability and the peace of mind I need as I work to fulfill my Dream, my Goal and to save money for my children’s college funds.

This indeed is a blessing to me and I am so proud, very excited and appreciative for this once in a lifetime opportunity. The happy feeling my family is getting is a feeling words cannot describe.

We thank you so very much The Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, all the wonderful volunteers, the great staff and all the partners for giving us the chance to live out our Dreams and for giving us a HOME so my children can grow up Happy and Healthy. May the Lord Almighty continue to bless you all abundantly.

We are looking forward to this whole process and sharing one of these experiences with others families. Again thank you very much.

Sincerely, The Turner Family.

My family and I are very proud and appreciative for this chance for a new house. I would like to thank Habitat for Humanity of Dane County for this opportunity to build with them and learn new house skills.

I have a family of nine – four nice girls and three silly but strong boys.

My oldest is Narik, 13. She is a good basketball player and very helpful to the family. The second is Nyenhail. She loves to play the violin and is a very good artist. Juok is the oldest boy and also likes basketball and is very tall. Reak, the middle child, likes to read and loves electronics. Thian, the youngest boy, likes to play soccer and is a playful child. Nyajuacni, the third girl, loves to make people laugh. Last but not least is Nyagol, the youngest child, she is nearly a year old and has a nice smile.

I would like to thank the volunteers and others who are planning to build with us. We look forward to sharing new experiences with our family and Habitat.  THANK YOU!

My name is Noelia Aguilar. Four years ago, my now 19-year old son, Bryan Ibanez and I, immigrated to the United States of America from Lima Peru for a better future and more opportunities. Since we arrived to Madison we lived at my sister’s home with her family for about a year and eight months. Then my son and I moved with my cousin for about a year.  And then we moved back with my sister. Currently, we live in an apartment where we feel more comfortable. We have changed our address more than three times in the past few years.

I’m a 35-year-old hard-working woman who looks forward to owning a home and giving my son his own privacy. We have a new addition to our family, my six month old daughter. My husband who lives in Peru has had to deal with some obstacles for him to come. I give all my prayers to God to facilitate my husband’s arrival and help me with the necessities of my children.

My son Bryan currently is a student of the Madison Area Technical College (MATC). He graduated on June 2011 from East High School. He is involved in the liberal art program and in the future wants to transfer to a four year college.  He has a part-time job and loves soccer. I’m proud of my son because of his positive attitude and because he helps a lot at home.

We thanks God for having the opportunity to be accepted into the Habitat for Humanity of Dane County organization and thanks to all these wonderful people (volunteers, sponsors, and to all the people who make this great program to succeed).

Noelia Aguilar