A place where they can finally rest
Sammy and Rita have moved three times in the last six years.
Each move was meant to solve one problem, but it often created another. A safer neighbourhood meant higher rent. A more affordable unit meant sacrificing comfort or stability. Like many families trying to make housing work, they have spent years balancing trade-offs.
They currently live in subsidized housing, renting the main floor of a three-bedroom home. The windows leak in colder months, and cigarette smoke from outside often drifts in from the tenants living below. The washing machine has been broken for months, so they share laundry with the tenants downstairs.
Before this home, the family lived in a basement suite. The rent was manageable, but the space was damp and cold. They had no control over the thermostat, and winter often meant bundling up indoors.
For a short time, they moved into an apartment. It was stable enough, but it never felt like somewhere they could settle long term.
One night, late in Rita’s pregnancy with their youngest son, Sammy was working a night shift. Police suddenly arrived at their door with guns drawn. Officers had mistaken their unit for another apartment in the building.
The situation was quickly resolved, but the moment stayed with Rita.
“It’s unsettling,” she says. “You don’t always know who is living around your children. You don’t know the strangers walking the same hallways, or if a knock on the door is someone you know.”
For Sammy and Rita, home means safety. Both physical and emotional.
Discovering Habitat
The couple first learned about Habitat for Humanity while visiting the Habitat ReStore. Sammy had become a regular customer. Rita laughs about how often he stops in, “Even if he’s not buying anything, he still goes because he loves it so much.”
During one visit, Sammy started talking with someone completing volunteer hours through Habitat’s homeownership program. Curious, he returned the next day to ask more questions.
That conversation led them to Habitat’s website, and eventually to a close family friend who helped them review the program and qualification requirements. The application process involves gathering detailed documentation and completing several steps along the way. Their friend helped guide them through it, encouraging them not to miss the opportunity.
“He really pushed us to apply,” Sammy says. “He believed this could change things for our family.”
That encouragement made a difference.
Not long after learning they had been approved for homeownership, the family received devastating news. The friend who helped guide them through the process passed away unexpectedly. For Sammy and Rita, his support is something they will always carry with them.
“He helped us believe this was possible,” Rita says.
Working toward home
As part of Habitat’s program, Sammy and Rita are completing 500 volunteer hours before purchasing their home.
Many of those hours are spent alongside other partner families who are working toward homeownership as well, some of whom will soon become their neighbours.
Sammy has especially enjoyed volunteering at the ReStore. After so many visits as a customer, being able to contribute in a different way has been meaningful.
“It feels good to give back while working toward something for our family,” he says.
What home will mean
When Sammy and Rita talk about their future home, they don’t focus on square footage or finishes. What matters most is peace of mind.
They look forward to living in a safe neighbourhood. To knowing the people around them. To having a fenced yard where their children can play.
They look forward to something many families take for granted: working appliances, control over their heat, and the ability to stay in one place.
“It means our kids can stay in the same school and keep the same friends,” Rita says. “And I’ll finally be able to sleep again.”
A foundation for the future
Beyond safety and stability, Sammy and Rita say a Habitat home will also ease the financial pressure their family has carried for years.
“With a Habitat home, we will finally have stability,” Rita says. “It will give our children a place where they can play, study, and grow.”
They picture a backyard filled with laughter, a kitchen where the family can cook together, and a living room where memories are made.
More than anything, they imagine a future where they don’t have to keep moving.
A place where their family can finally settle. A place to call home.
