Meet Future Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeowner, Antoinette.

Empowered by homeownership to strive for more.

Antoinette has been a caretaker since she was a young teenager, aiding her mother, who was a care provider in their community. Antoinette’s role for her neighbors was especially important, as she would look after and tend to postpartum mothers and their babies.  
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As an adult, she went to nursing school and worked as a CNA while raising her children. After 8 years, she focused on becoming a registered nurse. She said that she was encouraged by the women she worked with to take the step for herself and her family. ​

“The director of my unit said, ‘We don't want you to stop working here, but we want you to go to school.’ But when I thought about my background, I was like, no. I am not a person who can go to school and be a nurse. That’s what I told myself. When she was retiring, and she called me into her office and said, ‘The only thing you can do for me is to go to school and become a nurse.’ She said, ‘Promise me you're going to do it.’”

And she did. After completing nursing school, she moved to Iowa, where she once again found a job as a CNA while settling her family into a new community. This time, however, she was doing it all as a single-parent preparing to take the NCLEX Exam.
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With her children getting older, she felt the financial and emotional burden of not having a permanent home more than ever. Their current apartment only has two bedrooms and one bathroom. Between herself and her kids, the space was too small. She was also concerned about the safety of the area and wanted her children to be able to do the small things like ride their bikes outside – so she contacted Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity and joined the waitlist.  ​

“I am trying to build our life in any way. I need to do this for my kids.”

Antoinette sat for her board exam and passed on her first attempt, quickly applying for and getting a job as a nurse. That same week, her name made it to the top of the Habitat waitlist, and her journey to homeownership began. 

“My life right now is limited, but when I move, it will change everything, even my way of living, even my way of thinking. Knowing that now we can welcome friends and family,
​the kids can have a birthday party at the home. Everything will change.”

Through all of the changes and challenges she has faced, she said the support and encouragement from her family, friends, and coworkers has pushed her to pursue her goals and she passes that forward whenever she can. ​

“[My experience] taught me that if you see something in somebody, they may not see that.
So, if you say, ‘Hey, you can do this,’ that can put a fire into them to do something better for themselves. Now I work with young people, and if I see someone can do more, I encourage
​them to push. I know that first step is hard, but you go, and you will get to where you want to be.” 

Together, we build empowerment. ​​