“I love my kids and I want to give them a safe home they can grow up in, make happy memories in, and eventually pass down to them when I am no longer here.”

Sayla Ayala is a Tax Technician for Pinellas County and a single mother to two beautiful children; 8-year-old Liliana and 3-year-old Lennox. Liliana likes to draw, create outfits for her Barbie dolls, gymnastics, and playing at the park. Lennox likes Minions, playing with dinosaur toys and going to Dinosaur World, and helping his grandfather fix cars. Sayla is on her journey towards homeownership with Habitat for Humanity so that she can provide a safe and stable forever home for herself and her kids.

Sayla and her children are facing many issues that are unfortunately very common in today’s housing crisis. She and her kids live in a two-bedroom condo that increases it’s rent each year. Her daughter and son share a bedroom and the space is tight and uncomfortable.

Getting accepted into the Habitat program was an emotional moment for Sayla. “As soon as I heard I was accepted into the program, I cried and my hands started shaking. I couldn’t stop staring at my beautiful certificate. I just kept thinking how I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to share the news with my friends and family!”

“Our lives will be different with a Habitat house because this is a home we literally worked for. My kids and I put in the time and effort, we’ve earned the hours, and we’ve changed our mindsets to save money and literally build this home from the ground up. This home is special and will be taken care of.”

In her new home, Sayla is looking forward to her kids having their own rooms and see how they decorate. “My daughter wants to have a little garden, so I am excited to learn how to garden with her and hopefully grow a little something in our yard,” she tells us. “I am looking forward to having that first sip of hot coffee in MY kitchen.”

Habitat’s mission would not be possible without the support of our volunteers. Each of our homes takes roughly 1,000 volunteer hours to build. If you would like to volunteer on one of our build sites or at one of our events, please visit our Volunteer Page for more information.