08/12/2026
It’s Back to School time in Ellis County! Let me share a little bit about how owning a home impacts the thoughts & dreams of children and just how much it impacts their learning.
It might go something like this….
Last year, when I started school, I didn’t have a room that was really mine.
I had a bed, but there were a lot of things we had to share. Sometimes it was hard to find a quiet place to do my homework. Sometimes I worried about things kids aren’t supposed to worry about.
Then something amazing happened. We moved into our own home through Habitat.
I remember walking through the front door for the first time. It smelled new, and everything felt so clean and bright. Mom smiled, and I could tell she was trying not to cry.
I picked out my room. My room. My first bedroom, ever. I put my things away and imagined what it would be like to come home from school every day and know exactly where I belonged. Never have I felt more excited about having something new, not like this. This is something completely new, almost like it’s not real.
Now it’s back-to-school time again. My backpack is ready. My new shoes are waiting by the door. I have pencils in my desk and a place in the kitchen where I can do my homework.
But the biggest difference isn’t my new backpack or my new school supplies.
It’s how I feel. I feel proud. I feel like now I’m finally like “those kids”. The kids whose roof doesn’t leak when it rains, whose parents can relax because I’m not getting sick like before. I have a real chance of perfect attendance this year!
People from our community helped make this possible. They gave their time, their money, their skills and their hearts. They probably don’t know how much those things mean to a kid like me.
But I do.
While, we don’t yet know who the family will be in our 2026/2027 build in Waxahachie, we understand the multitude of ways owning a home impacts those families. It’s our WHY. It’s our mission. Help us complete another dream by supporting our goals in giving with North Texas Giving Day coming up.
