“I will live in my home with an abundance of prosperity.”
Lakesha Baxter is a Recreation Center Assistant at the Thomas “Jet” Jackson Recreation center and is a single mother to three children. Her sons, Damarion (age 13) and Carlos (age 9), love to play basketball, play Fortnite, and watch YouTube videos. Her daughter, LyRyca (age 2), loves to wrestle with her brothers, watching cartoons, and pushing around empty boxes. Lakesha currently attends St. Petersburg College and is working towards her degree in Health Science Administration. She says “I see my family traveling down this journey of homeownership being thankful and able to say we have our HOME.”.
The Baxter family has been working hard toward their forever home. Their current living situation has been a major challenge with high rent costs, crowded spaces, and plumbing issues. Lakesha tells us “At times it troubles me because I want to take my children on more trips or do more fun things, but everything is limited. I feel like I only work to pay bills. Becoming a homeowner will open up the door for more opportunities to do more things with my children.”
Lakesha was so excited when she got the news that she was accepted into the Habitat program. “I was overjoyed with gratitude and I was thanking God for my unexpected blessing. It seemed like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders, seeing that my future will be brighter for my children and I.” So far, she has only completed sweat equity hours online, but she is eager to get the opportunity to finally go onsite to learn more tools to become an efficient homeowner.
The family is ecstatic to begin decorating their new home and to finally have their own rooms. “It all still seems surreal. We will have a yard that they can go outside and play in and I can feel comfortable with them going out to play. I’m looking forward to everything about my new home.”
“Habitat for Humanity is a organizational blessing to my family and I. They have provided an opportunity for my family own a home. I’m overly thankful for the opportunity Habitat for Humanity has given me.”
The Baxter Family home was dedicated in memory of Susie Mae Wilson-Newton on Monday, August 16th, 2021.
