Welcome to the Clark Family!

Laura’s Story: Establishing Roots

For years, Laura’s life was lived in pots…her flowers, her dreams, and her family’s stability. As a single mother of three and full-time caregiver to her disabled, wheelchair-bound mother, Laura worked three jobs just to afford the $3,000 monthly rent for a home, desperately in need of repair, that could barely meet their needs. But even that home came with uncertainty. Landlords sold properties. Rent skyrocketed. And every time she moved, she packed up not just her belongings, but her hopes, family, and potted flowers again.

“I’ve never been able to plant my flowers in the ground,” Laura said. “They’ve always been in pots, because I never knew when I’d have to move again.”

That image of flowers waiting for a place to root captures Laura’s journey. Originally from Niagara Falls, New York, she moved to Greenville seeking a fresh start. But affordable housing remained elusive. With no child support, no financial assistance, and no savings for a down payment, homeownership felt like a dream she couldn’t afford to dream.

Then, a chance encounter with a coworker in Tennessee changed everything. Her coworker had partnered with Habitat for Humanity years earlier, and her story planted a seed in Laura’s heart. Laura applied to Habitat for Humanity Greenville, and today, she’s putting in sweat equity hours, working side-by-side with staff and volunteers, and preparing to move into her future home. A home that is accessible for her mother with a walk-in shower, and a haven where her family can finally breathe and find peace and stability.

Laura’s home will be more than walls and a roof. It will be the soil where her family can grow. It means no more working three jobs overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. It means time with her children and her mother. It means planting her garden in the earth, not in pots. It means permanence.

“I feel like I’ve won the lottery,” Laura said. “This is our home. No one can take it away. We finally have roots.”

Laura is already sharing the opportunity with coworkers who face similar struggles. She plans to continue volunteering with Habitat, giving back to the community that gave her family a future. Her story is a reminder that when we build homes, we’re also planting hope and helping families like Laura’s bloom.