The House That Golf Built

Homeowner Tim

In 2015, our annual Fore the Love of Habitat golf and comedy fundraiser raised $53,000 to build an affordable home in our community for a working family in need. This is the house that golf built…

The cost of rental housing is soaring in our community. Families are struggling to pay more than half of their monthly net-income toward rental housing… rental housing that is often not healthy or adequate in size. Through the tremendous support of our donors and dedicated volunteers, paired with Tim’s determination, his family has hope for a brighter future.

Tim’s journey with Habitat Sarasota began six years ago, “I needed to improve my financial situation,” he says. In addition to working full-time at a medical rehabilitation facility, he took on two part-time jobs to increase his income.

A divorced and dedicated dad with joint custody, his goal is to provide a home for his children. For the past five years, this family of three has shared one bedroom, “I rent a bedroom. When my kids visit, they sleep in the twin beds and I sleep on the floor,” says Tim.

When Tim signed his acceptance paperwork and picked the lot for his future home, Habitat agreed that a small shed in the backyard could stay as a place for storage. Tim jokes with a hint of pride that his daughter has an entrepreneurial spirit and already has dibs on the shed – what she calls “my office.”

They will soon move into their new home. “We have gone through a lot, but we’re still a happy family.”

 

This new home construction was made possible by funding provided by Bank of America Client Foundation, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Eluned and Edward Russell Charitable Foundation, Isermann Family Foundation, Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, Jerry L. and Faye E. Bainbridge Family Foundation and event proceeds from the 2015 Fore the Love of Habitat.