What does home mean to you
It’s a question that Habitat homeowners, volunteers and staff are blessed to answer — and hear answers to — almost daily.
A mom in Missouri sees her Habitat home as way to establish stability for her two growing boys. A teenager in Colorado reflects on how hard she’s seen her mother work to help build their new home, how much will and determination she has shown. In Uganda, a family now has a safer, healthier place to live and new vocational opportunities.
Comfort. Security. Favorite family memories. A place of refuge. We asked our readers to share with us the many ways they think of home.
Here are some our favorite responses:
“Home means a future. Once we had a stable home, we could think beyond where we were going to live from week to week, and we could begin to look ahead to where we wanted to go. Home is the base where everything begins.”— Kelly
“Home is a place blessed, where you and your family can be secure, have all you need, and share your sadness and happiness. Where you can help each other as a family. It does not matter how big or small. I live in a small room with my two sons, and we share our thoughts.”— Honey
“Home means a new chapter in my family’s lives, a fresh new start, safety, security, unity.”— Betty
“A home means a stable foundation. When I was a little kid, my parents never had their own place. With five kids, my dad worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day; mom worked off and on. We went from one place to another. I can remember one place we lived in had no bathroom, the windows were missing, the walls no better — there were holes in them. Sixteen years ago I started helping Habitat and will always help people in need. God bless and thanks. P.S. Dad, you’re the best, will always remember you!”— Thomas
Home is the base where everything begins.— Kelly
“Since 2007, I’ve built four homes with Habitat for Humanity families. The common thread binding each family was that each home became these families’ base for everything: faith, hope, family, school, fellowship, even future struggles and conquests. Home gave these four great families a relief from the stresses of unsuitable or dangerous living conditions so they could focus on what’s next, not just what’s now.”— Chad
“Home is a safe haven and a comfort zone. A place to live with our families and pets and enjoy with friends. A place to build memories as well as a way to build future wealth. A place where we can truly just be ourselves. And whether our houses are big, small, fancy or modest, they are our shelters and our sanctuaries.”— Linda
