“My life will be stable and safe and I will make a safe future for my kids as well.”

Aws Al-Rubaye and his wife, Lina Qasim, are on their journey towards homeownership with Habitat. Together, the couple is raising two children: 5-year-old Haider and 2-year-old Qaswar. Haider likes to play soccer and ride his tricycle outside. Little Qawsar is making slow steps, but loves to chase bubbles.

Ten years ago, Aws and Lina moved to America as refugees from the war-torn country of Iraq. Their dream was to create a family and have a better life here in the US. The family of four currently lives in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment were struggling to find a place that was larger and still affordable. Now, after being accepted into the Habitat program, Aws says “It was just like a life buoy ring thrown at my hand”. The family is very excited to begin their sweat equity so that they can learn new building skills, meet new people, and share their experience.

Many of our homeowners, such as Aws, Lina, and their family, purchase their furniture from our Habitat ReStores, where new and gently used building materials and home furnishings are sold at discounted prices. Proceeds from the store go back into the program to help build more homes for families in our community. If you are interested in donating, shopping, or volunteering at our ReStores, please check out our ReStore Page on our website for more information.

“Every part of the home will mean a lot for me, especially the yard, so the kids and I can have fun.”

The Al-Rubaye-Qasim Family home was dedicated on November 22nd, 2022.