Ten days in the Iowa August sun changed the lives of Shantel and Glen Nicholson and their son Mike forever. A little sweat, a lot of love, and a caring hand up from others, built the foundation of hope for their brighter future.
For Shantel, Glen, and Mike, the summer of 2005 brought many changes. On June 4th, Shantel and Glen began a new chapter of their lives as husband and wife and on September 18th they moved into their new home, built in partnership with Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, the Iowa Bankers Association, and the Iowa State Fair.
The completion of their home brought to fruition a long time dream of Shantel. As a low-income single mother she dreamt of a home of her own in which to raise her son, but thought that goal was simply out of reach. In 2003, a co-worker at Ruan Transportation told her of a program. Linda Gines had recently purchased her new home through the Habitat program, and she encouraged Shantel to apply.
Accepted into the program Shantel found hope and a new path to self help. She completed the ‘Blueprint to Homeownership’ course that is required of all Habitat families to assure they are ready for homeownership. “It really helped me with my budgeting, I got out of debt and knew I could afford the Habitat home,” she remarked.
The home that Shantel and Glen purchased through the Habitat program for the cost of materials and financed by Habitat through a 20 year interest free loan will reduce by nearly fifty percent their past housing costs on a very small rental duplex. “It’s an investment in our future, an investment in Mike’s future” he reflects on what this partnership means to his new family. “I want the stability it will provide Mike” adds Shantel, “That’s what’s most important to me.”