Catholics For Habitat Hard At Work
Evansville’s Catholics for Habitat group started building a new home Aug. 28. This is the 25th home that Evansville-area Catholics have worked on.
Volunteers from the new St. Boniface Parish worked around showers – some of them heavy – to build the foundation for the home, on South Evans Street.
Volunteers from other parishes will take over as construction continues, and The Message will provide ongoing coverage as the new home takes shape. Evansville Habitat’s Family Selection Committee and Board of Directors approved Amique Thomas and her twins as the partner family for the new home.
If anyone understands the definition of drive, it is Thomas. She is not quite 22 years old, and is looking forward to homeownership and the boost she knows it will give her in life. She has twins – a girl and a boy – who are approaching their second birthday. Every step Thomas is taking now is driven by her dedication to give her children a bright future.
Living in a two-bedroom, two-story apartment, Thomas and her children are ready to have a home to call their own – with working appliances and space all in her name. The energy bills in her apartment are simply too high; and with rent that’s more than she can afford, Thomas is excited to have a simple, stable affordable home for her children to grow up in.
Thomas heard about Habitat for Humanity through a friend who also was a partner family, and now a Habitat homeowner. After hearing more about the program and how to apply, Thomas found that owning a Habitat home was just the right step. She now has a plan to save money, finish her bachelor’s degree in radiology from the University of Southern Indiana, and begin working as an ultrasound technician.
Since becoming a partner family with Habitat, Thomas says this process has shown her how hard people work, inspiring her to also help other people. She explains that the dedication of the Core Crew has given her a new outlook on life and what someone can accomplish. “Things aren’t always as hard as they seem,” she said; “you just do it.”
After graduating from Bosse High School and moving out of her mother’s home, Thomas’ mantra is to keep moving forward. “This will give me the opportunity to do the things I’ve always dreamed of doing,” she said.
Evansville Habitat for Humanity and Catholics for Habitat provided information for this story.
