“Habitat for Humanity is a great organization that helps people in hard times change their future.”
Gregory and Desirae Collins are hard working parents who have partnered with Habitat in order to provide a safe and stable home for their three children, Zechariah (age 2), Tobias (age 1), and Charlotte (newborn). “We are a very close knit family,” Gregory describes. “We love making memories together and are always ready for an adventure.” The children love to play outside, watch birds, color, and swim. As a family, they enjoy being involved in their church, exploring new places, and having “family band time” because of their passion for music.
The family of five has had to move often as their rent has continuously increased to prices they could not afford. “The areas that we’ve lived in aren’t family friendly, and make taking the kids outside to play often difficult. Our current apartment has lots of fighting, and illegal activity,” Gregory tells us. “It is income based, and being at the max that is allowed, we have no room to grow financially, having to look past promotions and offers to increase in the past. That makes us stuck in the cycle of struggling for what we need, being required to live paycheck to paycheck or risk having rent more than double instantly to get into another apartment.”
When Gregory and Desirae learned that they were accepted into the Habitat program, they were in complete shock. “It didn’t feel real as we began to process how much our lives were about to change. We will finally have a place to call home. A stable, safe place to raise our kids! It still feels like a dream come true!” In their new home, the family is looking forward to growing a garden, making memories, and having a place to call their own.
The dream of homeownership for the Collins family and many other families in the Habitat program would not be possible without the financial support from our donors and sponsors. For more information on how to donate to the Habitat mission or to become a sponsor on a home build, please visit our Donate Page on our website.
“We are building to help build a community and work toward something greater than ourselves.”
This home is sponsored by
Interested in home for me and my kids
Hi Sherrie,
Our affiliate serves Pinellas and West Pasco County residents in Florida ONLY. To find your local Habitat program, visit https://www.habitat.org/housing-help/apply.
To begin the application process, please visit the website to review the program criteria. If you meet the qualifications, please create an account, complete the online orientation, and upload your documents. Then, book an application session. For additional questions on eligibility, please call us at 727-536-4755 ext. 228.