Nadia might never have applied for a Beaches Habitat house if her daughter Gabrielle’s godmother hadn’t suggested it. It seemed like a good idea, so she went to an informational meeting, filled out an application, and was approved for a 5-bedroom house. That was five years ago, just before the Ocean Gate project precluded building a house with that many bedrooms.

The single mom plowed ahead anyway, accumulating 225 hours of sweat equity. “I learned a lot from working,” she says, “like insight about what goes into a structure and how to maintain it.”

Although Nadia and her five children, ranging in age from 3 to 18, have had a roof over their heads, it hasn’t been an ideal situation. During that time, the kids have looked forward to moving and have planned how to decorate their bedrooms. Rayne wants unicorn curtains, Ethan wants a nautical theme, and Ryan wants a Transformer bedspread. Work will soon start on their house, but Mom hasn’t told them yet because they’d ask to start shopping right away.

Nadia has been busy, too. She’s been employed by FSCJ’s childcare center and enrolled in college classes. With two courses finished—and a B in math– she’s now taking a third. “Time management is my biggest challenge,” she says. She does her homework with the children but has stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish hers, determined to earn an Associate degree in Early Childhood Management.

An old adage says, “Good things come to those who wait.” At Beaches Habitat, good things come to those who work and wait.

Written by Pat Rakowski