Whether the weather is sunny or cloudy this Saturday it will be a beautiful day for Brenda Mahaffey. She will finally have a place for her and her grandson to call home, and the lift chair system she needs to care for him.
Ms. Mahaffey grew up in Chattanooga, was married at age 17 and has been blessed with six children, including two sets of twins, 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Because family is so important to Ms. Mahaffey, she did not hesitate to open her home to Robert, her grandson. When Robert was born, jaundice affected the right side of his brain causing permanent damage.
Until recently when Robert began suffering from persistent seizures Ms. Mahaffey was his sole caregiver. He now receives in-home nursing care 16 hours a day.
In May of 2008 Robert graduated from the adult program at the Orange Grove School. Ms. Mahaffey beams with pride when she reflects on his achievements at Orange Grove. She is grateful to the staff for their support and maintains a relationship with many of them.
Even though Ms. Mahaffey has lived in Chattanooga her entire life, she has yet to experience the feeling of being home. “Living in a rented home, you never feel like you are home. You have to live like the landlord wants you to live,” she says.
Living on a fixed income, Ms. Mahaffey realized she would never qualify for a conventional mortgage. Hearing about Habitat for Humanity from a friend, Ms. Mahaffey began praying that she would be accepted. Shortly after Ms. Mahaffey began her journey with Habitat, her landlord notified her that she had to move out as soon as possible. With homelessness bearing down, she was blessed to find a fellow church member with an apartment for rent.
“A home of my own means I never have to move or worry about the landlord. It would be mine to decorate as I wish,” she says.
Ms. Mahaffey has had “angels” help her in many ways since being accepted into Habitat’s program. Friends and church family have rallied in support by caring for Robert, and by helping Ms. Mahaffey meet Habitat’s requirements for sweat equity hours and closing costs. Her family has been supportive as well - “I couldn’t do it without the help of my family. I am more than grateful for the help they give. God is also by my side –I praise him every day for this tremendous blessing.”
The Mahaffey’s home was built over the last several months by volunteer groups from the Chattanooga area with support from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area’s Construction staff.
Financial support for the home was provided by the Clarence E. Harris Foundation, the George R. Johnson Family Foundation (operators of many area Hardee’s Restaurants) and a partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency’s Housing Trust Fund that has supported construction of 20 homes statewide.
“The Mahaffey family has touched all of our hearts,” said Pete Palmer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area. “We are grateful to our financial sponsors and volunteers for partnering with us to bless this special family with a home that is simple, decent, affordable, and meets their needs.”