The House That Love Built

It’s evident that Donna gives great care to all those in her circle; their teen daughter, the family pets, the new granddaughter, her special-needs client she works for, and her new neighbors – but she has a special loving way of caring for Stephen. You can see in the way she completes many of his sentences, and often asks if he needs anything, be it a refill of coffee or a prop of his pillow. He admits, with palpable gratitude, “I wouldn’t even be alive today if it weren’t for her.”  

Stephen is disabled. He worked for many years, and truly worked himself to exhaustion; but he still tells stories with pride of how he was a truck driver and mechanic of large engines. His last job was overseeing the maintenance and repair of a fleet of 22 trucks, doing the routine brake jobs and oil changes. Looking back, he wishes he had seen what Donna had been distressed over back then. “I yelled at him all the time, that he should wear a mask with all the dust he worked in. His clothes were covered in dirt from the gravel pit, and you know that gets in your lungs. It didn’t help that he was a smoker back then too.” Their love story nearly ended there.

Preliminary acceptance is not as simple as a lottery, though; the family had to prove themselves to be fully accepted. “You need to provide proof that you wouldn’t be a risk for foreclosure,” explains Donna. While there are many special opportunities provided, such as 0% interest on their mortgage and the first year of homeowner’s insurance covered, you also need to “get picked”, both Stephen and Donna say, nearly simultaneously. “You are conditionally approved, based on your income and consistency with work history,” Donna finishes the explanation. Plus, the “Swe’Eg”: a shortened version of what they call “Sweat Equity”.   

The term ‘sweat equity’ refers to a person’s non-monetary contribution towards a venture or project; in most cases, it comes in the form of physical labor, mental effort, and time. In this case, it’s a new homeowner having an opportunity to invest in their home along with volunteers.  

She was baffled at first, but then thrilled to learn that there was yet another partner stepping up to help make their homeownership dreams come true. Norwescap’s Individual Development Account (IDA), working with Habitat for Humanity, was inviting the family to be part of our “Dollars to Dreams” matched savings program. When individuals enroll, they receive a dollar-to-dollar match towards their goals, while participating in financial literacy workshops to support their long-term planning and stability. Donna can still recall the titles of most of the classes she took and names them while holding up her fingers to count: “General Budgeting, Personal Budgeting, Being a Good Neighbor, Keeping Your Home Healthy…”. Even if her recall fails, Donna has neatly organized binders of all her class material. She points out the next few pages of highlighted spreadsheets, tracking the hours spent by their many friends and extended family members who enthusiastically volunteered to support the “Sweat Equity” commitment for their new home.   

It’s only been 3 months since the Stefanos officially moved in. They are still creating their nest. Amber has marked her teenage territory in the finished basement with her version of a living room, complete with a fuzzy blue rug and coffee table. Stephan’s CPAP oxygen machine is carefully placed on the bedside table. Donna continues to ruffle through housewarming gifts, finding just the right places to display them. Treasures such as a silver dollar seashell painted in a tropical scene and airbrushed ‘Steve & Donna, Ocean City 2001,’ a calendar showcasing Pugsley, the family dog as the featured model for January 2023, extensive family photos and a collection of ceramic figurines. As you exit through the front door, a framed quilt hangs to your left. Donna tells the story of it being gifted to her by a client when she left her role at Molly Maids.