Breathing Room

At Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity, we believe that preserving homes preserves lives. For Leanne, a foster mom, nonprofit worker, and fierce advocate for the children in her care, home is more than just a place—it’s a sanctuary. But when mold crept into her ceilings and closets, her sanctuary became a threat.

Leanne’s home, built in 1946, is full of history and love—but like many older homes in our region, it was showing its age. What began as minor inconveniences quickly spiraled into a series of health and safety concerns. Mold was spreading through the ceilings and closets. The HVAC ducts weren’t controlling moisture. Leaking gutters, failing insulation, and an electrical panel long past its expiration date left her with rising repair costs and falling hope.

“I just wanted to reach out and thank you for the work Habitat for Humanity enabled for my home,” Leanne shared with us after her repairs were complete. “Because of the Critical Repairs Program, I can now breathe in my home—both due to the mold remediation and from the lessened stress of how I was going to find the means to repair all of the parts of my house that were slowly falling apart underneath (and above) us.”

Through our Critical Home Repair program, Leanne’s home received a series of essential repairs, including:

• Mold removal and remediation

• New drywall and fresh paint in closets and bedrooms

• HVAC ductwork replacement

• Removal and replacement of attic insulation

• Installation of gutter guards

• A new electrical panel

These weren’t just fixes. They were a pathway back to stability and peace of mind.

As a single mom and foster parent, Leanne is used to doing a lot on her own. She’s pulled up carpets, restored hardwood floors, and painted nearly every room herself. But replacing ceilings, electrical panels, and ductwork? That’s beyond what even the most determined DIYer can handle.

“There are things I just can’t do,” she said. “I can’t replace a ceiling. I can’t rewire the house. But Habitat made it possible for my family to stay here safely.”

And for Leanne, staying mattered. Selling the house wasn’t an option. Moving would have meant leaving behind the stability she’s worked so hard to build for her daughter and the foster children she continues to welcome into her home. “I was literally Googling anything I could find that was financial assistance for homeowners,” she recalled. “And I found Habitat. I didn’t even know the Critical Home Repair program existed.”

Despite initial hesitation—"There’s people that need this more than me,” she thought—Leanne applied. And then, everything changed.

“Chris and Jeffrey made me feel like part of a process, not a charity case,” she said. “There was support, not judgment. I can sleep at night now, knowing that we can live here safely and healthily while I save up for other projects.”

Leanne’s home is safe now. Her daughter has her own bedroom again. The buzzing circuits are quiet. The dehumidifier is off. And Leanne can breathe—literally and figuratively.

For Leanne, home isn’t just about shelter. It’s about the people who fill it, the memories built over shared meals, bedtime stories, and even the occasional foster kitten hiding in the bathroom drawer.

“This house has good bones,” she says. “It doesn’t need to be torn down. It just needed some help. And now, it can keep being a home—for me, and for every kid who walks through the door.”

At Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity, we’re proud to be part of that story.