After going through a divorce, Sean found himself with no other choice than to live with his parents. While he was grateful for the temporary living situation and made it work, it was cramped and not sustainable. At the same time, he dealt with the pressures of fatherhood and setting an example for his children.

"It troubled me deeply that my sons wouldn’t see me as a provider with independence.” – Sean.

Feeling desperate, Sean sought help. “I don’t even remember what I typed into the computer–something to the effect of ‘help me’–and the Habitat for Humanity website came up. I honestly didn’t believe that hearts that big existed in this world.”

A hand up, not a hand out is exactly what Sean was looking for, and Habitat’s program, which involves 500 hours of volunteer work, helped him rebuild his confidence. He formed strong bonds with Habitat staff, volunteers, and fellow homeowners, and particularly enjoyed working on the build site.

Sean described Habitat’s program as a snowball of positivity that got bigger and bigger with each step he took down this road: “It has always been my belief, and now it is confirmed, that programs and groups of people like this are really what holds the world together. Because we are all in this together.”

Sean completed his 500 hours of volunteerism, and moved into his Habitat home in December 2022, but he isn’t finished giving back to the community: “Now that I have gotten myself out of this jam, I intend to take a page out of Habitat’s book and start helping more people who need it. It is amazing the confidence you can pass on just by doing the things that Habitat has already done for me.”