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There’s No Place Like Home.By Kimberly R. White Everyone’s home is unique in some ways, but few are as different as mine. Not only is it the first hurricane-resistant Habitat for Humanity home built in Florida, but it was constructed to accommodate someone in a wheelchair or scooter, a feature that works well for me. I am a 46-year-old divorced woman with multiple sclerosis. I am a registered nurse and live close to several hospitals and health-care facilities in order to manage my condition. Since 1992 I have been adapting to ever-changing conditions: I have been in a wheelchair and a scooter and have now progressed to using a cane. I am currently receiving Social Security disability benefits. Although the house, which has two bedrooms and 1,200 square feet of living space, is built to withstand winds up to 140 mph (a Category 4 hurricane), I am most pleased with its accessibility. Not only can one ride into the shower while sitting in a wheelchair, but the large doors with curved doorknobs make it easy to maneuver around inside. In addition, the living room and the two bedrooms have Berber carpeting, which make pushing a wheelchair easy. 
Other features include tiled bathrooms, three ceiling fans and an alarm system that can be activated in case of a break-in or medical emergency. I have a riding lawn mower with which to do my yard work, and an affordable electric bill of approximately $50 a month. I became aware of Habitat for Humanity while packing food for Share, a non-profit volunteer organization that offers savings on food. As an outreach coordinator, I delivered purchased food to the homes of customers, most of whom were homebound or had no means of transportation. A friend from Share encouraged me to apply for a Habitat for Humanity home because she volunteered at the building sites and thought I would qualify. In 2001, I found out that I did. While my home was being built, I worked with abused and neglected children at a Florida shelter as a live-in caregiver. I later provided respite relief (baby-sitting) as my house neared completion. After three hurricanes and some delays, I moved into my house in the summer of 2005. My home was built by a Habitat for Humanity work force of more than 800 volunteers, including my brother Bill Zmuda, an Iraq war veteran, and Sherry Heywood and the members of the Van Dyke United Methodist Church. Habitat for Humanity, an international, Christian-based organization, builds homes and sells them to low-income citizens at no profit with no-interest loans. Homeowners invest 500 hours of “sweat equity” working on other Habitat homes while qualifying and then on their own home during its construction. Individuals also can work at the Habitat for Humanity home site. I worked both in the store and at the Habitat for Humanity construction sites. I wish everyone could be as fortunate as I have been and know how wonderful it is to have a place of one’s own. Habitat for Humanity made it a reality for me. Kimberly R. White is a registered nurse living in Thonotosassa, Fla. PLEASE NOTE: PORTIONS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION! |
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Copyright © 2006 by ILCHV |
