Moving In On Mother’s Day

Moving In On Mother’s Day

In the early 1900s, Mother’s Day was officially established as a U.S. National Holiday. It was created as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. Today, we honor two mothers who’ve sacrificed to give their children a safe, stable place to grow up.

On Friday, volunteers, supporters, family and friends gathered with Sarah and then Tanika to celebrate the closing of their new homes. Both received the keys to their homes just in time for Mother’s Day. The celebrations exemplified the spirit of what Mother’s Day is all about.

Tanika’s son, Savion, talked about his mom – standing from the porch of the home she helped build with her own two hands.

“She’s very strong, she’s a great woman, and she does a lot of stuff for us,” said Savion during an interview with TMJ4. Watch the entire interview here.

Tanika became the first person in her immediate family to become a homeowner. It’s an accomplishment she hopes will inspire others. With the stability of Habitat’s affordable mortgage, Tanika says, this will allow her to go back to school and get her degree.

In the Harambee neighborhood, Sarah celebrated her new home by sharing heart-felt words about what this moment means to her.

“I never thought that I would be a homeowner at age 27 – and before the age of 30 at that,” said Sarah. “Especially being a single mother and the way today’s cost of living and housing market is. But, God is good. I prayed for this and he answered my prayers through Habitat.”

Like all Milwaukee Habitat homeowners, Tanika and Sarah completed hundreds of hours of sweat equity helping to build their homes. These hours were on top of their already busy schedules working and raising a family.

Both women sacrificed to achieve the dream of homeownership. Now, they’ve seen that dream into existence. For years to come, their children will grow up within these walls. And maybe someday down the road, on a Mother’s Day 10 years from now, those children – having grown – will look back to this Mother’s Day as the day she built them a home of their own.