![\"\"](\"https:\/\/habitatportlandregion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nancy-02-1-edited-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYears ago, Nancy was in a bad living situation. She wanted something different for her family and knew things had to change. She applied to Habitat and found out she\u2019d eventually become a homeowner but needed a stable place for her and her daughters to stay in the meantime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A chance encounter with old friends at the Forest Grove Wednesday market led to Nancy and the girls moving in with the couple for three years as they waited to move into their new home. Their friends took them in graciously and were sad to see them go when it was time to leave. Although Nancy and the girls enjoyed their stay, they couldn\u2019t help feeling like they were in someone else\u2019s space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three of them shared one bedroom, which was particularly difficult for Nancy\u2019s teenage daughter. Nancy was self-conscious that her cooking would make the house smell, or that they might overstay their welcome. That wasn\u2019t the case, but it was nonetheless a relief to move into Alder Commons and have a home of their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said she loves everything about it: the openness of the hallways, the staircase, the large bathrooms, the living room, and the spacious kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe feel more comfortable,\u201d Nancy said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a positive impact for us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her two older sons, ages 23 and 22, are in college and the US Air Force, respectively. Her oldest son wants to become a physician\u2019s assistant, and eventually plans to move in with his mother and sisters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nancy\u2019s oldest daughter excels in school and wants to become a lawyer. Her youngest, at 8 years old, wants to open up an ice cream shop, or maybe become a veterinarian. The world is her oyster, after all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nancy never received her high school diploma or GED, and she has always motivated her four children to graduate from high school. After that, she said, they can make their own decisions and she will support them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While putting in her Habitat participation hours, Nancy volunteered at the Alder Commons and Denney Gardens construction sites. She built and painted alongside her future neighbors, staff members, and volunteers who taught her not only about construction, but about herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll the people I worked with were incredible and positive,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like a better person to be around all of them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n She also enjoyed volunteering at the Beaverton ReStore because of how neat and organized everything was, and how kind the staff and volunteers were. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re there, you feel a positive energy,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nancy works in quality control at Epson, where she has worked for 15 years. She has worked her way up in the company and plans to keep climbing the ladder for the good of her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you want something, you need to be persistent and organized,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Most people start off the new year writing down their goals and aspirations until the next January rolls around. But Habitat homeowner Nancy began 2024 having already accomplished her lifelong dream \u2013 buying her own home. \u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true; I never thought in my life I would have a home,\u201d Nancy said. \u201cMy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":31985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homeowner"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/habitatportlandregion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nancy-03-1-1024x731.jpg\")