Family Story as told by Russell:
“Our family story journey began in October 2018 when I chose to leave my wife who was three months pregnant with our eldest from our home country to go work in Canada in the hopes of giving her and the family that we are building a better future and security. It took 2 years for us to be reunited and live together in the community of Georgetown through affordable rental housing managed by the government.
Edenyl and I have been working full time hoping that we can save enough for a down payment for a house. It felt impossible to reach our goal because of the prices of housing nowadays since COVID-19 hit. I thought that our hope was gone until I saw that Habitat for Humanity PEI had an opening for a house in Georgetown. My wife and I really prayed hard for it because we wanted to stay in this place where we became part of the community. By God’s grace, we were surprised that we were chosen. My whole family was excited about this news because it is very important for us to have a place we can call home. In this house, I can get to see my wife and kids after a long day of work. A place I can feel safe for my family. A place where my family and I can share our thoughts and feelings. A place where we can be ourselves and have fun together. A place where we can share our meal together and check each other how our days went by.
With the housing market at an all-time high, it was hopeless to save or buy a house but when we learned about Habitat for Humanity PEI, we knew that there is hope. We know that Habitat for Humanity’s goal gives me peace of mind. This opportunity will also help us save up for our family’s future.
I really wanted to stay in Georgetown because it is the community who accepted me and my family when we first came here in PEI. In return, I joined the Georgetown Fire Department as my way of giving back the favor that this town has given me and family.”