For one local family, their dream of owning their own home is about to come true.
Christopher Lawrence, Kali White and their daughters Lily, nine, and Karma, four, are the sixth family selected by Habitat for Humanity Prince George. Habitat for Humanity uses volunteers, fundraising and donated materials to build affordable, safe houses for worthy families.
On Saturday Lawrence, White and the team from Habitat for Humanity officially started construction on their new home at 1905 Kenwood St.
"We started all the [volunteer] hours a couple months ago and it didn't feel real," White said. "It's not a dream, it's real. To be getting a house, a home, stability - it's the most incredible feeling."
The 1,040 square-foot, split-level home will take approximately four months and 800 volunteer hours to build.
Currently the family rent a home in the VLA area.
"The area we're in isn't the greatest. We live right smack in the middle of everything going on," White said.
The couple are looking at getting, "away from the negativity that is all the crime in that area," she said.
White said the couple, which have lived in Prince George for seven years, moved here to make a change in their lives.
"We've gone through some really, really rough times. We were involved with the wrong crowd," she said. "It's been a great experience to be able to turn your life around. Meeting the right people helped a lot."
White said her stepmother played a key role in helping them get their lives turned around.
"My stepmom helped take care of the kids when we were away," she said. "And meeting the people at Habitat, it's like another family. It's families helping families."
Lawrence said it's hard to put into words the feeling he gets from seeing the community come together to help his family. Lawrence works in construction and White is a waitress.
"It's a future - something in a million years we'd not be able to do on our own," he said.
Habitat for Humanity building supervisor Arthur Newcombe said the community has come forward with lots of support for the project.
Carpentry and plumbing students from the College of New Caledonia will be working on the home, he said.
"We have a volunteer electrician. We could use another electrician, dry waller, painter, floor layer, siding installer... landscapers," he said. "West Fraser [Lumber] and Canfor have donated the building materials. Canfor is providing a day of volunteers, and we'll have them do the shingling."
Other volunteers are needed as well, he said. Anyone interested in volunteering can call 250-564-1188 for more information.
Families selected by Habitat for Humanity are required to put in 250 hours of "sweat equity" and purchase the completed home.
