“Home is where can rest, have safety, and abundance, where never ending love will reside and new memories will be made.”
Autumn Cook is a single mother to a 4-year-old girl name Naiomy and a woman who has faced significant challenges before starting her journey towards homeownership with Habitat for Humanity. She shared her story with us, and it’s one of resilience, strength, and hope. “When I first applied almost four years ago, I was pregnant, sleeping in the back of my two-door Honda Civic,” she recalled. “Shortly after I gave birth, I came home to changed locks and unbeknown to me, a canceled lease being told I had to leave.”
Despite the difficult circumstances, Autumn remained determined to get back on her feet as soon as possible. “I did my pregnancy alone and gave birth alone. I quickly went into tunnel vision to get back on my feet as soon as possible by braiding hair out of the trunk of my car using rubber bands, a comb and hair gel with nothing else to my name,” she said. This is when she decided to take the first step and apply to the Habitat for Humanity program once more.
Autumn’s journey towards homeownership has not been an easy one, but she remains committed to achieving her goal. As she explains, “It’s important to me that I set my daughter up for nothing but success to flourish. I now look more than forward to paying a subsequent mortgage to our home. This will not only be our home, but a true safe place where I can create a stable, positive, fruitful future for not only my daughter, but also myself.”
Autumn’s story is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of single parents, and how organizations like Habitat for Humanity are able to provide support and resources to those in need. As Autumn puts it, “I am truly grateful for this program, and I cannot wait to see the finished product and call it our own.” If you or somebody you know is interested in applying to the Habitat program to achieve the dream of homeownership, please visit our Apply Page for more information.
“Habitat for Humanity is a program that not only gives hope, but provides opportunity simultaneously. Habitat for Humanity has altered my future profoundly and I am truly thankful to be given this opportunity.”
The Cook Family home was dedicated on May 19th, 2023.
