“Home is where you are most comfortable, somewhere you can feel safe.”

Crystal Shurtleff is a Phlebotomist at OneBlood and a single mother to a 14-year-old daughter named Jazmin. She is in the Habitat for Humanity program and her family will soon have a home of their own and be able to build a new chapter in their lives. Jazmin loves art and is self-taught in makeup. Crystal describes their relationship as close and appreciates the family values they are building as they grow.

For over 10 years, they have been living in the same place, but with the current inflation and remodeling, the rent has increased, making it difficult to put money into something that is not their own investment. That’s when she decided to apply for the Habitat for Humanity program and when she was accepted, she was very excited. Crystal said, “I took a big jump, and it was definitely worth the risk!”

One of the things that Crystal is looking forward to the most is being able to invite her mother and grandmother to her and Jazmin’s home for the holidays. She is also eager to own two bathrooms, as living with a teenage girl can be difficult with only one. Crystal is excited about this opportunity to have a stable life and learn how to make repairs to her home after building it.

Habitat for Humanity is a program that helps families like Crystal’s achieve their dreams of owning their own home. In order to achieve out mission, we rely on the donations of individuals and businesses to help fund our home builds and our events. If you are interested in donating to Habitat to help families like Crystal’s build a better life for themselves and their loved ones, please visit our Donate Page to learn more.

“Take the dive. Apply for the program. It will be life changing.”