HabiChat
FALL 2013
PARTNER FAMILY SPOTLIGHT: THE ALLMAN FAMILY HERE IN ELKHART COUNTY, FINDING AN AFFORDABLE RENTAL FOR A FAMILY OF 10 IS A NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TASK. Marcia and Anthony Allman have moved their 7 children, along with Marcia’s mother Edna, several times in the past couple of years, seeking a suitable house. Today, they pay $800 each month for a 3 bedroom rental in Elkhart. Edna sleeps on the couch. Their oldest daughter stays in a curtained off space in the living room with little privacy. This rental was an improvement from the last one, where mold infested the walls and Anthony had to replace a bathroom floor himself, but it does cost more. Edna struggles with dementia and has lived with them for several years. “It’s a full-time care-giver job, without much help from other relatives.” At only 69 years old, Edna could need the family’s help for many more years. In addition to studying social work full time at IUSB, the kids all have favorite activities that often require shuttling around. She keeps a giant paper calendar to plan the family’s days. Justice (17) (not pictured) “likes being a teenager,” Marcia sighs. Kayla (14) is creative and artistic, often working on her crafts and music. Desiree (12) auditioned and now plays her violin in the Youth Honors Orchestra through Goshen College. Her full schedule includes cheer leading, tumbling, and after-school club. Akira (10) loves soccer, basketball, video games, and “anything active” even though he struggles with asthma. Alyson (9) “can’t wait to follow in Desiree’s footsteps,” Marcia laughs. She was upset when she realized elementary school
The Allman Family
doesn’t offer cheer leading. Arianna (8) enjoys hanging out with her friends, reading and playing teacher. Ethan (6) loves soccer and hanging out with Akira. Marcia smiles, “I think I would be lost without my kids.” As they’ve worked through the Habitat program, life has offered the Allmans challenges as well as reasons to hope. Anthony spent a couple of harried months this summer frantically looking for employment after losing the job he’d worked for over 6 years.
“It means a permanent home, and we don’t ever have to move!” MARCIA ALLMAN
Thankfully, he recently started a new position at Rockport, a division of Forest River, in receiving. Marcia hopes her social work degree will lead to a fulfilling career. “The degree is very flexible.” She would like to work in the health care setting or in the criminal justice system.
A Habitat home will change the Allmans’ lives forever. An affordable mortgage payment will mean more money available for necessities, like repairing and eventually replacing their unreliable vehicles, for the kids’ needs, and especially for savings. “It will be something where we can spread out,” Marcia laughs. “Being on top of each other is the source of all our issues.” More than anything, though, “It means a permanent home, and we don’t ever have to move!”
A HAND UP FOR THE ALLMAN FAMILY 10 people in a small three bedroom rental–with one on a sofa and another in a curtained-off area of the living room–is not our idea of a decent home. In addition to the gift-in-kind from local and national companies and the labor of 100 volunteers, we need $60,000 to build a home with the Allman family. Everyone working together can make that happen. If you provide the money, we will provide the reality of a home that will meet the Allman family’s needs–and they will purchase it from us at an affordable monthly mortgage payment. Help us give a hand UP, not a hand-out to the Allman family. What will YOU build?