Mary knows what it means to wait for a home of your own. And that life experience has now fueled her commitment to help other families reach homeownership, one month at a time.
Mary and her husband moved from place to place, following various career moves throughout their relationship. They had been married for 20 years before they were finally able to buy their first home. Mary remembers sitting in the living room of that house thinking, “This is ours.”
For their oldest son, who was in high school at the time, having a home meant being able to express himself by painting his bedroom walls and hanging things up without worrying about the next move or the next landlord.
“I know what a difference it makes in your life as a young family when you can say, ‘There’s no place like home,'” said Mary.
Years later, an opportunity to help other families took shape practically in Mary’s own backyard. One of her neighbors began circulating a petition opposing the new Habitat Metro Denver development nearby, but Mary and a few other neighbors wanted to let the city know that the opposition didn’t speak for everyone.
Mary testified before City Council in support of the project and the families who would one day become her neighbors. This experience transformed into a commitment to affordable homeownership that would last for decades.
“We’ve been Habitat supporters ever since,” she said.
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Her family’s philosophy of giving comes down to three things: “time, talent, or treasure.” Since 1998, Mary and her husband have given their “treasure” as monthly donors to Habitat Metro Denver. Even when retirement meant cutting back on expenses, their monthly donation stayed
“You make these decisions years ago, and you continue to make them every month. A lot of time it’s automatic, and other things in life distract you, but it’s always very gratifying to know that we make a little difference,” said Mary.
Like building a house, Mary’s consistent act of giving has grown into something much bigger over time. That impact is visible in the neighborhood where her connection to Habitat began. Though she moved away from the area, she still finds herself driving past the Habitat homes she once advocated for.
“It makes it all worthwhile that there are still people living there,” she said. “It’s just wonderful.”
For Mary, homeownership has always been about the long-term benefits of stability. Over her three decades supporting Habitat, she has watched the path to homeownership change. She’s seen home prices in her neighborhood rise dramatically, sparking her awe and appreciation for families working toward homeownership today.
“The stability of having a place to come home to makes such a difference for families. I’m so proud of people who can, in this economy, plan and make their way to homeownership,” said Mary.
Perhaps due to her own journey to homeownership, or from her years of giving, Mary’s definition of home is simple.
“Home is comfort and stability,” Mary said. “And that’s why I’m so glad that people have a chance to get the comfort and stability of a home with Habitat.”
