After being released from the Canadian forces in 2008 Kevin moved to the Comox Valley where he met Aria in the summer of 2016. They now have two children together, Kai and Kayne.

They often find themselves dreaming of setting up a homestead. A large yard with milk goats, honey bees, chickens, and a food-producing garden where they can enjoy small-scale hobby farming. They applied to partner with Habitat after growing increasingly anxious about the possibility of being renovicted from their rental unit, which needed upgrades. The idea of their family becoming homeless until something else became available was frightening.

Partnering with Habitat “can be a lot of work and stressful sometimes, but we are very happy with the amount of help we get throughout the process. It has been great,” said Kevin.
“We appreciate all the alternate opportunities given to us to help us out, and the people are great to work with. Other volunteers seem to have the same sense of humour as us, so all the work doesn’t feel like work, and time passes quickly. A very nice environment,” reflected Kevin on his time at the Habitat ReStore.

Kevin and Aria completed their 500 volunteer hours and moved into their new Habitat home in August of 2023.

We asked the family what does a Habitat home mean for them.

“For us, it ends the feeling of being stuck in the rental cycle and having to possibly move every few years with no guarantee that we will be successful in finding a home.

It ensures stability for our family and gives us control over our lives so that sometime in the future, we would be able to purchase our dream home and make room for another family that needs help. It’s such a golden opportunity to put our roots down and enjoy our family,” said Kevin and Aria.

We also asked them to share any advice for families considering to partner up with Habitat.

“Just apply because you never know. It may just work out.”

At Habitat, we are so proud of this family and all partner families. Together, we are building a safer and more affordable community for all.