building blocks 06

Ayub grew up in Nashville with three sisters and his mother, a strong-willed woman who taught them to work hard, stand on their own feet and never give up. Despite this ethic of independence and hard work, Ayub radiates a love for life and the people around him. He fell in love with Samira while visiting a friend's family in Morocco in 1998 andÂ?as is custom in her cultureÂ?waited three long years for her to join him in Nashville as his wife. Since then, they've been blessed with two children, a three-year-old daughter and five-month-old son.

Ayub just celebrated his sixth anniversary as a utility worker for B&B Manufacturing, a producer of upscale lighting fixtures, and Samira works in the home caring for their two children. Before Building Blocks, they lived in a small apartment in South Nashville but dreamed of finding a better home for their children, an environment where people really look out for each other. Samira heard about Habitat through their mosque, and they decided to apply.

A home "means the world to us," Ayub says. He says that when he called Samira with the news that they were approved for a Building Blocks home, she just screamed. When asked what the future holds for him and his family, his response is simple: "A lot of love!"

Born in Beaufort, South Carolina, Anita grew up in a very close family, spending most of her childhood playing outside with her brothers and sisters and fishing with her father on the weekends. Even though scattered around the eastern U.S., she and her siblings still look out for each other and plan to work together building Anita's new house.

Anita's own daughter, a talented 17-year-old who loves to draw, is an honors student at McGavock High School and recently won third place in a statewide competition sponsored by the Business Professionals Association. They enjoy creating their own arts and crafts and love reading books together. One year they even had a competition to see who could read the most.

Anita has been employed as an Appeals Coordinator with Magellan Behavioral Health Services since 1998. A kind and compassionate woman, she is well suited to her job of hearing client health care appeals. It was a young woman from her apartment complex in Antioch that first told Anita about Habitat for Humanity. She loved the idea of people building together like a family. Even before she applied, she had promised her daughter that they would be moving into their own house. She was so confident that she even started bringing boxes home from work to prepare for the task of packing. When her daughter questioned her about where they were moving, Anita responded, "I don't know, but I have faith."

Abdulla Morgan emigrated from Egypt to New York City six and a half years ago. A friend there suggested he'd find more opportunity in Nashville, so he pushed on, settling in Tennessee without knowing a soul. The difficulty of starting over in a new country, Abdulla says, makes one feel "like a small baby."

He found out about Habitat through a friend in the program. His previous neighborhood, near the Murfreesboro Road and Thompson Lane intersection, wasn't always safe. His neighbors were often drunk and rowdy, his car had been broken into and he had a problem with bugs in his apartment. Now that he has a house, he can begin to think more seriously about his future, including the possibility of marriage and a family. In the meantime, he can't wait to entertain friends at his new house and grow vegetables in his own garden.

For two years, he's been working as a Line Lead in pre-pack for Cinram, and eventually he would love to continue the studies in chemistry and physics he began in Egypt. He says having his own home is like "food and water" to him. He's grateful to God and his sponsor for making it possible. "Before Habitat called me, I only had dreams," he says. "Now, they are true."

Patrick and Patrice met in 1995 while working at a theatre in New York City. They lived in Brooklyn until moving to Nashville in 2003. Patrick, originally from Denver, was gopher and stagehand while Patrice, a New York native, was the stage manager. Patrick knew it was Patrice's dream to own a home and have a family, but New York is expensive. He took on two jobs to support their family and save for property. The economic impact of September 11th hit home when Patrick's day job was forced to scale back and his position was cut. They decided to leave New York, moving near Patrick's sister in Nashville. Once settled, Patrick began working two jobs again. He currently works for Hemophilia Health Services as a Materials Management Specialist. Of buying a home, he says, "I am not a pessimist, but I wasn't convinced we could afford one."

The Goedicke's previous two-bedroom apartment in the Antioch area was too small for a healthy family of five, and Patrick often spotted police cars in the complex. Providence Park, he says, provides peace of mind and a safe place to raise his children. He frequently drove his kids through the neighborhood to see the progress while the houses were being built. Owning a home, he says, "is a responsibility you want to have. It's like having children. It's hard work, but you look forward to it."

"The dream of a home was a torch my wife carried for my family for a very long time," says Patrick. "Habitat has made a dream come true. If I could work 28 hours a day to say thank you, I would do it."

A native of Nashville, Denese remembers growing up in the middle of five children, trying to catch up to the older ones while hanging back with the younger ones at the same time. Her grandmother was a special inspiration, giving Denese the strong spiritual background that she's trying to instill in her own three teenage children. She's extremely proud of her kids, who she says keep her grounded. Simply looking at their pictures motivates her.

Before Building Blocks, Denese and her family lived in the Edgehill area of Nashville. The neighborhood, she says, had become increasingly violent. To avoid the danger and have a little fun, she and her kids would take road trips to places like Atlanta, Memphis and Kentucky.

A Certified Nurse Technician at West Meade Place for five years, Denese has dreamed of owning her own home since she was little. To her, a home means security and stability for her family. She looked into Habitat after learning of the HomeStore from a friend. While there, she was inspired by the pictures of "families" filling the walls and brochures. Very family-oriented herself, she decided to apply. Her best experience so far has been attending her first HomeWORKS class. "When I actually had a hammer in my hand and I hit that nail," she says, "it just did something for me." She sees a difference in her children, too. Their outlook has changed, she says, and they are more focused. Thanks to her sponsors, she feels like she is able to give them some roots.

Originally from big families in Iraq, Abdul and Hana settled in Nashville more than 5 years ago with their own three beautiful children. "Life was beautiful as a child," Abdul says of growing up in Iraq. "I had a lot of friends, we went to school together, played soccer together." Unfortunately, life changed when Iraq's political landscape shifted, and Abdul decided to bring his family to the U.S. via Jordan.

They previously lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment in the South Nashville area. Things were relatively calm when the apartment manager was around, but after he left for the night, Abdul says, "It's as if there are no rules." Due to drinking and drug use, car vandalism and theft, he felt it was too unsafe for his family.

While he has been familiar with Habitat for over 4 years, he didn't seriously consider applying until a friend recommended it. After researching various housing options, he decided to go for it. "The 0% interest mortgage is very close to our Islamic law," he says.

Abdul does auditing and accounting work for T C Talk Communications while he studies accounting at TSU. Hana is also a student, studying Business at Nashville Tech while working in the home caring for the children. Abdul says that Hana is extremely good at budgeting and saving. Right now, she's pinching pennies in order to buy furniture for the kids' bedrooms.

A Habitat home means hope to Abdul and his family. He believes that if you have a house, everything else will fall into place with God's help. He would like to thank his family's sponsor for the opportunity, and for "offering a good life."

Salam and Kadija both hail from Northern Iraq. Their families have known each other for generations, and they both immigrated to the US in the same year. Oddly enough, they didn't meet until a few years later.

Growing up in Kurdistan was difficult for Salam. There was tremendous political unrest and the Kurdish people were given very little freedom. He painfully remembers watching soldiers beat civilians. Salam's father, though, was a strong and generous man, a merchant who worked very hard to support his family. Even with ten children of his own, he would bring home needy individuals every Friday night for dinner, just to make sure they received one good meal. Kadija's family was large as well. Growing up with two sisters and six brothers, she learned a thing or two about family, and now she has two wonderful sons and a baby on the way. Before Building Blocks, the family lived in a very crowded one bedroom apartment in the Antioch area. Salam says that the neighborhood was unsafe, with frequent shootings and car break-ins. He found out about the Habitat program from a friend who knew the family was in need of space.

Salam and Kadija are excited to be new residents of Providence Park with more room for the growing boys and baby. Salam says the new home will provide the "backbone" for his children's future. "You don't know how much it means to us," he says. "We hope in the future we can give back and help someone else achieve their dreams."

A young woman who lights up a room with her smile, Amanda was born in Illinois to military parents and settled in Nashville after attending Hillwood High School. Before Building Blocks, she and her four-year-old son lived in a West Nashville apartment building where police visits, drug deals, violence and theft were common. Amazingly motivated and resourceful, Amanda installed a security camera to monitor the parking lot after her car was repeatedly vandalized. For his own safety, her son wasn't allowed to play outside. Instead, they enjoyed doing puzzles together, playing Candyland or Chutes and Ladders and reading books. Their Habitat house, Amanda says, represents "a new beginning, a new life." She smiles broadly and adds, "We can go outside and play!"

Becoming an office assistant for Elk Valley Health Services two years ago was a real turning point for Amanda. It was Karen Bell, Amanda's boss and a great source of support and inspiration, that first told her about Habitat. Until then, she thought she would never own a home and always be limited to whatever her modest income could afford. She's so thrilled about her new house that she planned a holiday dinner for her coworkers. She had planned to invite her sponsors, too, until she learned that as many as 600 people might be helping with the build!

A Nashville native, Scharnita grew up the youngest of ten raised by a single mother. Now Scharnita has four sons of her own, ranging in age from 6 to 15. They're all happy to have their own home and leave behind the violence and crime of the North Nashville neighborhood they lived in before Building Blocks.

As a single mother and recovering addict, Scharnita is no stranger to difficult times. After using drugs and alcohol for 17 years, she's been in recovery for the last four. An important part of the process, she says, is setting goals. She remembers making a collage of pictures from magazines to represent her goals. Number one was to get closer to God. Beyond that, she decided to go after her GED, buy her own home, and earn a bachelor's degree in social work. She is well on her way, and helping others in the meantime as a night case manager at Renewal House. "I've been there. I know what they're going through," she says about helping other young women in recovery.

In addition to working full-time, she attends Nashville State Tech part-time to work toward her dream of a bachelor's degree. For fun, she loves taking her boys to the skating rink, the movies, the bowling alley, and Chuck E. Cheese?her youngest son's favorite.

Scharnita was familiar with the process of earning a house since two of her sisters are Habitat homeowners already. She couldn't be more excited to join them and says she's looking forward to the newness of everything?a new neighborhood, new relationships with new neighbors, and a whole new atmosphere for her family.

A US resident for over 10 years now, Emad is a man with a ready smile and quick sense of humor. Most of his 6 sisters and 2 brothers still live in Iraq, where he grew up and where life wasn't always safe. In 1991, he left for Saudi Arabia and immigrated to the U.S. from there, stopping first in Roanoke, Virginia, before settling in Nashville with Maryam.

Previously, Emad and his wife Maryam lived in a small apartment in West Nashville with their one-year-old son. They didn't have proper heating or air, and neighborhood crime was an almost everyday occurrence. They had tools stolen and car windows broken. Even their prayer rugs went missing after being hung out for the night. Emad and Maryam were overjoyed with the changes the baby brought to their lives, but they also worried about his safety.

Emad has been employed by Aramark Uniform Service for ten years where he runs the washroom, maintaining the machines and scheduling tasks. He also works part-time at Target three nights a week for additional income. For fun, he and Maryam enjoy packing a picnic for the lake and taking road trips. Now that they have a home, they look forward to relaxing in their own yard and having barbecues. Even more than that, they say they treasure the freedom and peace of owning their own home and having a safe place to raise their new son.