Carlene now has a home she can afford and a permanent place to live thanks to the homeownership program at Habitat for Humanity Sarasota. Standing in what will soon be her new kitchen, she is beaming. She is dreaming about baking Christmas cake in her oven, something she hasn’t been able to do in years.
Home Dedication
Tuesday, November 19
11:30am – 12:30pm
2207 Hammock Place, Sarasota, FL 34235
Carlene did the best she could to care for her apartment and give her son, Odane, a healthy home. But like many renters, the age of the apartment and repairs not fixed by the landlord were out of her control. The electrical wiring was bad, windows and doors did not open or close properly, major appliances were broken, and the porch was collapsing.
“My road to arrive at this point has been hard,” says Carlene. “But thank God, I did it. Now I am looking forward to peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to worry about my rent increasing or a landlord that won’t respond.”
Carlene is a CNA and has worked for the same employer for years. Despite her solid employment in a stable field, she couldn’t qualify for a standard home loan. Things began to change for Carlene when a coworker told her about Habitat Sarasota’s homeownership program.
Odane supported his mom throughout her process of completing the homeownership requirements. He put in nearly 50 hours helping his mom earn sweat equity hours.
Standing next to his mom, Odane is beaming too. “I am happy my mom has her own place that she can be proud of and take care of herself. As soon as I am finished with college, I am going to do all I can to support her like she has done for me.”
Thank You to our Sponsors
Home Sponsors:
- Al & Nancy Burnett Charitable Foundation
- Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation
- Wells Fargo
- The Law Office of Michael J. Belle
Team Build Sponsors:
Appliance Sponsors:
- Church of the Palms: washers & dryers
- Whirlpool: refrigerator & range
In-Kind Services:
- Fahey Pest & Lawn Solutions
- The Home Depot
- Sterling Manufacturing
- Hall Architects
- Stirling & Wilbur Engineering Group
Hammock Place Development Partners:
- Kolter Group in partnership with The Community Foundation of Sarasota County
- Vanguard Land
- Williams Parker Harrison Dietz & Getzen
