Annual Appeal

“I’m happy because I have all my kids under one roof somewhere safe and I am beginning to trust again.”

Powerful words from Ann Bori, a Warren Habitat partner family mother from nine years ago.

 

As Warren County Habitat moves forward, it is important to reflect on the past and share with you the positive impact your dollars have had in shaping the future of a family.

The Bori family came to WCHFH with a challenging background consisting of abuse, homelessness, sleeping in rest stops on Route 78, and a lack of faith in humanity caused by their former circumstances. While two of the children, Samantha and David, were court ordered to live with their father, Ann and Tyler, found security in a shelter where they came across a pamphlet about Habitat.

“I carried the pamphlet for weeks before mailing it in.”

“I had no faith in the courts or people,” Ann stated.  Through this struggle, despite all odds, their family gained strength and stability. The Bori family was selected as our partner family on September 3, 2007 and amazing things began to happen. The family, recognizing a stable environment was on the horizon, was finally able to focus on their future.

Once their home was completed, David was able to rejoin his mother on his 18th birthday. “David has been my rock,” a statement repeated often by Ann showcasing the importance of her oldest. In 2014, David’s father passed away after a long battle with cancer. In the absence of Tyler’s father, David made it a point to show up to his younger brother’s father/son school functions in a role that fell onto his shoulders. David, in his mid-teens at the time, attended these functions as “the father” because he knew the importance of his role in continuing to move their family forward, and the importance of unity. Currently a senior at Rutgers University, the twenty-four year old will be graduating in December with a major in criminal justice, fire science, and only a minimal amount of debt in student loans.  They recently celebrated Samantha’s graduation from Moravian College in May.

Your donation changed the lives of the Bori family.

Much like Ann, our current partner family has their own set of challenges and obstacles. Heather, a military veteran, and Bob also have similar hopes and dreams for their two young children.

We are asking if you would please consider opening your hearts during this Christmas season and make a monetary donation to our construction fund. This will enable us to complete the home with Bob and Heather and positively impact their family. (That’s their daughter peeking through the corn hole board.) It will also allow us to begin construction with our next partner family, who will be selected in the spring. As you ponder the amount of such a donation, you might want to think about your neighbors, the Bori’s, and how much your support has meant to them.