For most of us, February 2020 is remembered as the last month of “normal” living just before the pandemic shut down the world. But for Ghada and Abduraheem and their three children, February 2020 will always be remembered as one of the most joyful months of their lives as they moved into their Habitat Greensboro home. “After living in a crowded two-bedroom apartment for several years, it was so wonderful for our children to have their own rooms in our new four-bedroom home,” Ghada reflects. While the rest of us were upset about having to “stay home” during those first few months, Ghada and her family were thrilled to finally be in their home and spend time together with a bigger living space and a yard for their children to play in while schools were closed. For them, staying at home during that time was a blessing.

Thankfully, Abduraheem’s job remained stable during the pandemic, and he even received a promotion. With two teenagers and one daughter still in elementary school, Ghada stays home so she can keep up with her children’s busy schedules and tend to things at home. “We’re so happy here! My children have so many friends in our neighborhood, and they can safely walk throughout our neighborhood without my husband worrying about them and me. We could never have allowed that in our old neighborhood.” Their oldest son is attending the Early College at NCA&T, and their middle daughter will begin her studies in the STEM program there this fall. Their youngest daughter attends a local Montessori school. “Greensboro has such wonderful school options, and we are so happy to see our children thriving in school.”

Ghada and her family have added a patio and basketball court on the side of their home, which has been great for her son, who is a big basketball fan. “Having the freedom and ability to make improvements to our home to accommodate the needs of our family is one of the greatest blessings of owning our own home. We are so very grateful to Habitat and to the donor who sponsored our house for giving us the opportunity to purchase our home!”