After nine years of homeownership, Kenna Elford is selling her home back to Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North, allowing the organization to provide another Campbell River family with a hand-up to break the cycle of poverty.
Elford’s home, located on Maple Road, is one of two units that were constructed by Habitat in 2009. Elford is engaged to be married, and will be relocating to her fiance’s home in Port Alberni.
Becoming a homeowner created significant and lasting changes for Elford and her son. Prior to her Habitat home, she was paying 75 per cent of her income on rent. Elford said owning her own home enabled her to go back to school and become self-employed. Homeownership also put Elford in a position to help her son through college and to be there for her mother when she was ill.
“Becoming a Habitat homeowner allowed me to prosper and move forward in my life, instead of just dealing with the day-to-day struggle to get by as a single parent. For this, I am very grateful,” said Elford. “The Habitat motto, ‘A hand-up, not a handout’, definitely describes my experience.”
After being occupied for nine years, the home – which was the first-ever Habitat home built in Campbell River – is in need of renovations to bring it back to like-new condition before the next family moves in. Habitat is in need of volunteers to help with flooring, painting, and finish work, as well as other tasks. To ensure Habitat can move the new homeowners in as soon as possible, renovation work bees are being held Tuesday through Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Habitat is also starting the prefabrication of walls for the next set of duplexes to be constructed on its multi-family project on Hilchey Road. These work bees are being held Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Campbell River ReStore.
Both of these volunteer opportunities allow you to work inside. Lunch and snacks are provided and no previous construction experience is required. Habitat work bees and build projects are also excellent team building opportunities for service and community groups and/or businesses.
Anyone interested in helping with either project, can contact Habitat’s Volunteer Manager Terri Perrin at 1-250-218-4952 or email terri@habitatnorthisland.com.