“I am building because my son deserves a home to call his own.”

Kelly Smallwood is a Compliance Specialist at MidAtlantic Finance and a single mother to her very bright and clever ten-year-old son, Elijah. She is on her journey towards homeownership with Habitat so she can accomplish her goal of providing her son with the most stable home possible. Elijah is a huge fan of Legos and reading fantasy books.

Over the past year, Kelly and Elijah have been residing in a tiny one-bedroom apartment. “I am grateful to have this place, even with only a single window in the bedroom, as there have been times in the past when we found ourselves staying in hotels and Airbnbs,” Kelly explains. “We try to stay positive and I strive to show him that so long as we are together, we are home, no matter where we find ourselves.”

Applying for the Habitat program was the first step Kelly took to achieve her lifelong goal of providing her son with the safest and most stable home possible. Her first thoughts after being accepted into the program were “I’m finally going to be able to give my son a home that will always be there for him,” which was quickly followed by “I never have to move again! Woohoo!”.

Kelly has enjoyed all parts of the sweat equity experience so far. “I love the build site because you get to see what your future will look like. Seeing what someone else’s house is becoming and knowing you will be there soon too.”

“Habitat is a hand-up, not a hand-out,” Kelly shares. “My boss first said this to me when he told me about the program and encouraged me to apply and it has ALWAYS stuck with me.”

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Habitat for Humanity program, please visit our Apply Page on our website.