Celebrating 20 Years as a Habitat Homeowner
Nestled into the King neighborhood of Northeast Portland resides Habitat homeowner, Cordel Green. As a homeowner of nearly 20 years, his house is a source of pride and acts as a centralizing force in his family. It’s a celebratory space where everyone gets together for birthdays and holidays. Just this past year, Cordel and his […]
Read MoreBountiful Blessings: Mel’s Story
For Mel and her son, Angelo, having a home of their own has been life-changing. Mel went back to school and earned her Master of Art and Art Education degree from New Hampshire School of Art and now teaches K-5th graders about the joys of creation. After attending a Habitat homeownership education class about community […]
Read MoreBelieving in Homeownership: Heather and James’ Story
Like many parents, Heather and James would do anything for the good of their family. They only moved within their neighborhood so their children would not have to change schools. When their youngest was born, Heather chose to be a stay-at-home mom and James took on more managerial responsibilities at work. They found a balance […]
Read MoreYanfen’s Story
Yanfen, her husband Xiaoyun and their two children, Kiana and Koby, live inside one bedroom of a four-bedroom home that they share with 10 other extended family members. Like many Portland families who experience rising rents, doubling up with other family members or friends is often the only way to make ends meet. “At night, […]
Read MoreHome is Where Community Grows
When Minh talks, she glows – especially when recounting the daily activities of her five daughters: Lien Hoa, Nhu Ngoc, Nhu Kim, Nhu Ngan, and Nhu Y. Her eldest, Lien Hoa, is a sophomore in high school and, like her mother, is very ambitious and diligent. Minh rises early to be at work by 6:30 every morning, arranges transportation for her children to school, and […]
Read MoreFrom Overcrowded to Overjoyed
Hai Dao was 14 years old when his family immigrated to Portland, OR from Vietnam. Life in Vietnam was simpler. He lived with his parents, Danh and Sang, his older brother Bao, and older sister Lien in a small cottage in a rural town in the countryside. They grew rice and raised chickens, ducks, and […]
Read MoreFrom Neighbor to Life-Long Friend
DeAsha Russell visits her family’s home country of Jamaica often. She loves her homeland, but is a determined young women with dreams of building something for herself here in America. Her mother, Dahlia, immigrated to Portland while she was pregnant with DeAsha. The family spent the first two years in Portland living with her grandmother. […]
Read MoreA Challenging Past Leads to a Hopeful Future
Ten years ago, Pa Kay and Tway Lay made a pivotal decision that would change the course of their lives. After moving back and forth between Myanmar and Thailand and enduring the struggles of daily life within the walls of a refugee camp, they made a move to the U.S. to escape a grim environment […]
Read MoreA Driven Student Dominates on the Track
Robannie rides the bus to school like most teens. Unlike most teens, her commute can be up to three hours each way. She attends school in downtown Portland but her adopted mother, Lorrie, and three siblings live in a cramped basement apartment in east Portland. Despite setbacks and roadblocks that would cause most of us […]
Read MoreLizet, Sharon and Daphne are finally home
Lizet has been searching for a stable and affordable home as her two daughters, Daphne and Sharon, grow older. They have moved multiple times over the past few years due to rent increases and want to live closer to Lizet’s work without the fear of their home becoming unaffordable. Lizet heard about Habitat for Humanity […]
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