Affordable Housing

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? For many of us, the holiday brings to mind the "firsts" that make a house feel like home—your first time hosting loved ones around the table, the first holiday season in a new space, or the first memories of settling your kids into the room where they’ll grow up.

For Eugenia, this year marks all of those precious milestones. And this week? Her first Thanksgiving in her very own home. After closing on her house this fall, Eugenia is stepping into a season of gratitude and new beginnings.

“I’m Second Lieutenant Bridget Pittman-Blackwell, and I’m a future Habitat Wake homeowner.”

Bridget hadn’t always envisioned a path in the military. "The thought would never have crossed my mind until I heard a briefing on my college campus," she recalls. "Listening to the benefits and the long-term goals soldiers had achieved — that was something I wanted for myself and my family.”

Today, we had the privilege of doing something special. Volunteers from Military Missions in Action joined us on-site to work on a home preservation project for a fellow Johnston County veteran. Ralph, who has lived in his home for over 15 years, needed some help restoring his back and side deck. This project is part of Habitat Wake’s mission to complete 80 home preservation projects this year, and partnering with Ralph as part of our Season of Service made it even more meaningful.

"I grew up in Washington, DC, uptown on Peabody Street. My great-great-great-grandmother bought that home, and it stayed in our family for generations. It was the house I grew up in. My grandmother was the last one to have it. The house was fully paid off, but we lost it to outstanding property taxes in 1998. We learned later that because my grandmother was over 62, she could have had the taxes forgiven. What really sticks with me is how much we didn’t know. If you don’t know something, you can’t fight against it."

Applause rang out throughout the Apex Town Council chambers when Senior Pastor Jose Luis of Iglesia Fiesta Cristiana started his public statement with a powerful Martin Luther King Jr. quote: “there is nothing new about poverty, however, what is new is that we have the resources to get rid of it.”

Last week marked a significant milestone for Kai as she attended her Habitat Wake orientation. Without missing a beat, she jumped into her first day on the construction site.

"I walked in today feeling the most nervous about what to expect," Kai shared. "I know we have to complete our sweat equity hours, but I’m not a professional. I wondered, what kind of tasks would I be doing? But once we had our morning meeting, everything just started to flow."

Lester stepped into the backyard of the lot in Johnston County that will soon become his forever home. His eyes widened as he took in the expanse of space. This Clayton neighborhood offers particularly large yards for Habitat Wake homes, and to Lester, the possibilities were endless. "I could get a whole garden out here," he said, imagining the rows of fresh produce that could fill the space. "I work for the food bank in Raleigh, and I used to teach urban farming classes."

This fall, Habitat Wake is proud to celebrate our veterans through a Season of Service. From September 11 – December 7, we will bring together veterans and their allies for multiple Veterans Build events aimed at honoring our service members, fostering community engagement and raising awareness of the specific housing challenges faced by the veteran community.