Perseverance Thrive Award Winner: Angela

Throughout the pandemic, many families lost someone close to them and were forced to navigate life without them. For Angela, it was her daughter.  

Her daughter, affectionately known as “Pooh,” had entered the Atlanta Habitat program and was living in her home for a year ahead of her loan closing. Pooh fell ill and eventually passed away before she could send in her signed paperwork.

“She signed the contract that she had to send in the mail to you guys,” Angela recalled. “But then all of a sudden, she got sick, and nobody did anything about it. When I found out that she passed and everything, I thought maybe I wasn’t going to be able to keep the house.”

Atlanta Habitat worked with Angela and her son, Dexter, to keep the home in the family. After their finances were approved, the pair took the required homeownership courses and collected their 250 sweat equity hours.  

They did the homebuying process a little out of order, but they were able to keep Pooh’s home in the family.  

“I was very excited, and it was no hesitation at all,” Angela said.  

Shortly after closing on the home for the second time, Angela was diagnosed with cancer.  

“I found out after she passed that I had cancer and I just thought my world is going to crumble down because I’m thinking about house,” Angela said.  “I’m thinking about my daughter and I’m thinking about this sickness, and I had broken down.”

Thanks to Habitat, her mortgage remained low and allowed her to focus on her health and to not worry about where she or her son would lay their heads at night.  

“We have not struggled to pay our bills,” Angela said. “That’s a great help and I thank God every day.”