It was home sweet home Saturday for the Blanco family of Carman. Terence, Katie and their three daughters Evelyn, Sara and Emily were handed the keys to their new home. The 1,600 square foot bungalow was built by Carman-Dufferin Habitat for Humanity and was the inaugural project for the organization.

The key presentation wasn’t even over when workers arrived at the house around noon to move in the family’s belongings.

Katie says it is both exciting and nerve wracking to be at this point.

“We’ve been at the other house six years, so a lot of things happened there…my babies started walking there and talking, it’s been a lot of fun.”

She did say that it’s comforting to have the house just across the street from the family’s previous house. “I have great neighbours here so, thankfully, I don’t have to leave them.”

While Katie said it was sad to leave behind the old house, she is excited for the new memories that will be made in the family’s new home.

“I enjoy watching my girls play outside, so climbing those trees and we’ve got a pool to set up…just growing and learning together.”

Katie unlocks her new front doorShe goes on to say that moving and becoming first-time homeowners was a big step for the family, but says it is also exciting and worth it.

Each family that benefits from a Habitat for Humanity house is required to contribute several hundred hours of labour investment, or sweaty equity. Katie says she lost count of her hours a long time ago.

“My hours were completed October third and I was here three, four, five days a week ever since then. I have, I’d say, close to a thousand hours give or take.”

When asked why it was so important for her to keep helping out, Katie said she knew the faster the home was built, the faster her family could move in.

Katie thanks everyone who volunteered their time in this effort, and those who donated. “Even if you bought a hot dog at a fund raiser, that’s good enough, everything counts.”

Meantime, she says the girls are looking forward to having more space and explains their bedrooms in the old house are quite small.

“The one bedroom can’t fit a single bed in, the other bedroom we had to build special bunk beds to make things fit. There’s two bedrooms and three little girls, so it’s full.”
Nine year old Evelyn, the oldest of the three daughters, confirms her mom’s statement and says the most exciting part of moving into a new home is getting more space to herself. She is also excited to live in a brand new house that no one else has lived in.

“I wish that most people could have a house like this.”

As for her plans for the family’s new home, Evelyn hopes to paint her bedroom purple and set up a pool in the backyard.

While she didn’t get to help much in building her new home, Evelyn says she’s met a lot of new friends and plans to help build a house for a different family when she’s a bit older.

Meanwhile, Fund Raising Chair Brent MacDonald and local chapter Co-Chair Harold Kenyon say Saturday was a long time in coming.

“Certainly very excited and overjoyed for the family, it’s just a tremendous experience. It’s been a long journey and it’s just great to be at this point,” explains Kenyon.

MacDonald added the day also came with a sense of relief.

“…That we actually accomplished this project and finished it, being our first one it had it’s moments at times but yeah, it’s all very exciting.”

While the duo is confident the Carman-Dufferin Chapter will build a second home for another deserving family, they also agree that it is time to take a break before embarking on another project.

The family was presented with several house warming gifts, including personalized bath towels for the girls