Home for the holidays
Family moving into the 32nd local Habitat for Humanity, just in time for Christmas
For the first time as a family, the Coles will celebrate Christmas in their very own home.
Dale and Kristie Cole and their children Bianca, 16, and Amelia, 13, got the keys to their new Habitat for Humanity house Thursday.
With construction of the Wellington Street home starting in June, the Coles didn’t know if they’d get to move in for the holidays or not.
Once they got the good news, Kristie called family members in Colorado to tell them to pack their bags.
“It’s amazing ... it’s going to be a very busy holiday,” Kristie said.
The Coles move in Friday, having already completed their 500 sweat equity hours needed to call the house their own.
Dale spent many mornings working at the site before heading to his shift at Costco to work a full day.
The family of four had been renting a three-bedroom unit at Kawartha Village Co-Op on Lansdowne St. E.
To Dale, the new house in the north end means a safe place for his family.
“Where we are now has changed over the years and this just means so much more now,” he said.
Shortly after accepting the keys, Kristie was already looking further down the road.
“It means a home I can leave to my kids. It means security for them ... it’s ours for the next 25 years and then it will go to them,” she said.
Dale and Kristie learned of Habitat after one of their daughters saw an announcement on television.
Having missed out on many opportunities in the past, they weren’t sure where their luck would land.
When they got word of their acceptance in April, Kristie said there was one word to describe their reaction: “disbelief.”
Habitat is a non-profit organization working to break the renting cycle among low-income families. It works with volunteers and community partners to build affordable housing, which are then sold to partner families at fair market value. There’s no down payment, a zero per cent interest mortgage and monthly payments are geared to income.
The Coles have the means to pay a mortgage, but weren’t able to come up with enough money for a down payment.
After receiving their keys Thursday, they thanked Habitat staff, the volunteers who helped build their home and the local Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
Kristie suffers from bipolar disease, and CMHA has always been by the Coles’ side.
“They have stood behind us for the last 12 years,” she said.
In an effort to pay their thanks forward, Dale and Kristie plan to help out Habitat whenever they can. Dale has already put in hours at the build on Wolfe St.
Habitat just closed in a semidetached house on Wolfe St., which is expected to be complete in April. They’re currently looking for volunteers for the new year.
In May, Habitat starts two houses in Lindsay and another two in Curve Lake First Nations. It’s the first time Habitat has partnered with a First Nation.
“This could be the beginning of a huge relationship with Curve Lake,” Burke said.
Habitat acquired the properties for the builds and partnered with the Indigenous community for the projects. Habitat is still looking for one partner family for one of the homes.
NOTE: To apply to be a partner family, visit www.habitatpkr.ca