Jaucelyn’s Own Room

Having a home for my family has been my dream ever since my daughter Jaucelyn entered this world.

I’ve worked hard and prayed to try to give my daughter her own room, a safe haven.

Our journey began after Jaucelyn’s mother and I split, when we moved in with my mother where Jaucelyn shared a room with her Nana. After three years of living with my mother, my mom received a job offer in Virginia and Jaucelyn and I moved in with our Aunt Cathy.

There was still no room for Jaucelyn to call her own.

The apartment we shared with my aunt was small; the environment was filled with drug activities, violence and was not a suitable neighborhood for my daughter to be raised in. The worst part about living in the apartment was bearing the heat from the Georgia summer without air conditioning. We tried to make do with fans and ice, but nothing could stand up against the blistering hot.

Of course, I never complained about the living situation but I wanted better. I wanted more for myself but mostly for my daughter. She deserved to have her own room and the comfort of air conditioning. Living hot and cramped on a couch or sharing a bed with her Aunt or Nana wasn’t the life I had envisioned for her.

It was time for a change.

When the opportunity presented itself with Habitat for Humanity, I knew my prayers had been answered. I knew this program could help me give my daughter her very own room. After meeting with the committee and doing what was needed to get the ball rolling, I was excited and overjoyed.

I continued to pray. The day I received the phone call that we were approved for a home, I cried with joy knowing my prayers had been answered and my sweet baby girl would finally have her own room. When I was finally able to tell her we were getting a house and she would have her own room, the look on her face was priceless.

I could finally see a future where she was comfortable and happy. The future she deserved.

The Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program is awesome; it gives families like mine the hope of becoming homeowners even while living in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Thank you Habitat for Humanity for paving the way for my daughter to grow up in a place fit for a child, a safe and decent place.

We are looking forward to building our future “brick by brick”.

Brandon Smith

Future Homeowner