As I reflect on 2021, I am incredibly proud of the way our community and teams adapted to make it one of our best years to date, especially as we continued to face a tremendous amount of uncertainty as we all continued to be impacted by COVID-19.
Last year, 25 homeowners took possession of their Habitat homes, changing the lives of 66 children forever. One of those children was 16-year-old Yunus, whose family you will meet in this report. In his words, “The day I moved in, it felt like a new beginning.”
I believe that’s the feeling we’re carrying into the year ahead – the feeling of a new beginning; a fresh start.
Whether you’re a sponsor, donor, volunteer or community partner, you had a vital role in achieving impact. Through your gifts of time, talent and finances, you are building stronger futures for families in Southern Alberta – families like Yunus’.
2022 will be another exciting year for us. With your support, we will help more than 20 families and 60 children, and we will hit an incredible milestone: we will help our 1,000th child benefit from safe, affordable home ownership. We will also complete our development of 32 homes in Silver Springs – three years in the making – and we will break ground on 13 new homes in Calgary and Brooks.
We will also have the opportunity to add back many of the gatherings that add joy, connection, and a feeling of community, whether it’s a Build Day, a Home Dedication, a volunteer opportunity, or a fundraising event. I look forward to seeing you, and seeing the difference we will make together for more families in Southern Alberta.
With thanks,
took possession of their Habitat homes
under construction
gave 20,500 hours of their time
generated for Habitat
of waste diverted from landfills
Hassina and Hassen’s story together starts in South Africa. They met over 20 years ago, and quickly became close friends. Over time, they decided they wanted to get married, and even though they didn’t have the support of their families, they found a way. This was the first of many life events that would demonstrate their incredible resilience.
Hassen moved to Canada and after three years apart, Hassina and their first child, Yunus, joined him and started building a new life.
As parents, they’ve worked hard to provide as their family has grown. Hassen is currently a taxi driver, and Hassina works as a healthcare aid. They are proud parents to three boys – Yunus, Nabil and Salahadin.
Just like all of us, a major priority in building their new life has been finding a stable place to call home. They’ve moved several times over the years in search of something safe, secure and affordable.
Most recently, they found a three-bedroom townhome that fit their budget, but it was near a main highway and there was regular police presence. Hassen described it as “very dangerous,” particularly for their two youngest boys who love to play soccer outside.
But, their resilience as parents continued and they never stopped searching. They found out from a close friend that they could buy a safe, stable, affordable home through Habitat for Humanity and their journey to home ownership began.
After they were approved to buy a home through Habitat, they spent the next several months completing their 500 hours at the Habitat ReStores and construction sites. And on July 28, 2021 the family offcially took possession of their new home in Radisson Heights. “The day we moved in was the very happiest moment of my life,” Hassina says.
And the timing couldn’t have been better, particularly with the rise in the housing market and the cost of living. “Being with Habitat brings a peace of mind, knowing I won’t have to pay more than I can a ord on my mortgage.”
The family is now part of a close-knit community of 7 other Habitat homeowners and their kids. The very first day they moved in, the boys already connected with the other kids, and they never have any trouble finding friends to play soccer with outside
Having a stable home has already had a huge impact on the boys. “For them, to know that we don’t have to move anymore, it’s a joy to their hearts,” Hassina says.
The three boys are unanimous in naming their favourite place of their new home – the basement. “It gives me freedom to play,” 16-year-old Yunus says.
Since moving in, Yunus has also reflected on what his home means to him. “The day I moved in felt amazing because I realized that it’s a new beginning and a new start.”
*Based on an evaluation by the Constellation Consulting Group in 2019 of more than 100 homeowners
in Southern Alberta who have been living in their Habitat home for at least one year.
Last year, the importance of home continued to be universally top-of-mind. Despite another year of uncertainty and the resulting challenges, we are proud to report that Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta is in a strong position moving into the year ahead. The organization is operationally and financially healthy, and is continuing to meet its goals.
Our teams have refined projects, processes and ways of working together, and as a result, the organization had its most successful year ever in two ways.
25 families took possession of their homes, and the ReStores generated $1.6 M to support the organization’s operations – these were both new records.
The credit for these results goes to the team for their dedication and resilience, and to you, our generous supporters, for standing beside us every step of the way.
All of this is for one purpose: to help more families benefit from the stability of home ownership. The Board of Directors extends its thanks to you for making our mission your own. We look forward to the impact we will continue to have together in 2022.
David Barber
Board Chair
*indicates Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta Board Member
We value accuracy in our donor report listing. In the event there was an oversight or error, please accept our apologies and contact donations@habitatsouthernab.ca for correction.
