Featured Story

Beni is a disabled, single mother of 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl, and a domestic violence survivor.

The rental where they currently live is in disrepair. The heat in their home is not adequate. The boys’ room has no direct heat, nor does Beni’s room. Her daughter’s room has heat but it is right behind the door, leading to a fire hazard if the door isn’t kept closed. Three of the four heaters in the home are old and spark when they start and stop. The family cannot walk barefoot in the house because nails are sticking up in the carpet. The only bathroom has a toilet that tends to over flow. This is challenging enough when 4 people share a single bathroom; imagine the difficulties when company visits.

Her daughter is on the spectrum and has very specific needs. At some point, she may require round-the-clock in-home care. The family currently lives in a community outside of Lewiston. Despite the commute, Beni opted to keep her children in Lewiston schools where she feels they receive the additional academic accommodations they need.

Beni is blessed by extended family who provide frequent assistance with the kids. Having a home in Lewiston will solve numerous challenges for Beni’s family since she will be closer to her support network. In Beni’s own words, “This home gives me hope to have my family in our forever home so we can focus on health needs and have the ability to grow and be more involved in the community.”

Plus, Beni can finally plant her very own peach tree, something she has wanted for years.

Featured Story

Featured Story

My name is Brittni Curl. I, along with my son, Brantlee, became the 34th homeowner for L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity. It was not an easy journey, but I am happy to share my story and spread hope.

I am partnered with a lovely woman named Stephanie, from a group called Parents as Teachers. After several home visits and knowing the challenges I was facing with my apartment, she encouraged me to apply for the Habitat house. Despite initial protests, she finally convinced me to apply in December 2019.

In February 2020 I received a letter stating I was moving to the next stage of the selection process.

Not only was I getting a home, I was getting an interest free mortgage; and, with Habitat, mortgages do not exceed 30% of monthly income. With Habitat there will never be a situation where I am forced choose between paying mortgage, getting medicine, or fixing the car. I could finally attain better financial stability.

In my old apartment, my utility costs on comfort billing was $300 per month. We only had baseboard were dangerous that and expensive to run, along with single pane windows I covered with heavy plastic and blankets to reduce heat loss in the winter. Because Habitat for Humanity places such a high priority on building energy-efficient homes, my February Avista bill was only $79.

I was going to college and raising a toddler; I had to work two jobs to afford everything Brantlee and I needed, on top of rent. Being able to put my hard-earned money to a house payment instead, is amazing. The house would be ours. No one could take it away. We could do anything.

My home is in the Hope Subdivision in the Orchards. It is a small community with several Habitat homeowners. The children all get the amazing opportunity of growing up together. Since moving in, I put up a chain link fence to keep Brantlee safe. Shortly after, Brantlee got his own very best friend, Axel, a border collie. The two are inseparable; Axel even tries to sleep with Brantlee every night.

Every homeowner has to do a set amount of sweat equity in the building of their home. They can paint, hang walls, hammer nails, or do many other things. Because my house was already built, I did my sweat equity through general volunteering at the Home and Garden Show and Pumpkin Patch. I also speak at events about my journey with Habitat and I work in the office on weekends gaining skills I can add to my resume.

In December 2021, I graduated from Walla Walla Community College with my Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology and also Medical Billing and Coding Assistant Certificate. Being a Habitat homeowner, made getting my degree that much easier. I didn’t have to worry about Brantlee’s safety or keeping warm at night. I could concentrate on graduating and having the best possible future for Brantlee. In fact, since graduation, I was able to quit one of my jobs and got a promotion at work. I have already missed so much of Brantlee’s childhood. I will not miss any more of it, and Habitat helped.

I am excited to pay it forward. A new house is being built in the Hope Subdivision. A new family is getting the opportunity to become homeowners and improve their lives. During the home-building process, volunteers have the opportunity to sign studs with messages of hope, quotes and scriptures. I cannot wait to write the new family a little message in their house or shed like all of the people did in mine.

Meanwhile, I feel my possibilities are now endless. Thank you L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Daisy Albert, selected in 2008 officially became an LCV HFH homeowner in 2009, shares her experience being chosen.

She was a single mom, doing it all on her own with 5 children in a 2 bedroom apartment until Habitat stepped in and gave her a hand up. Daisy counts her blessings every day and will never forget the feeling of having a house to call home.

Click here to listen to a short clip of Daisy telling her story.

Click here to view the Power Point presentation.

Featured Story

Featured Story

Janet Duman talks about the impact the Clarkston Affordable Home Repair program had on her family. In partnership with the City of Clarkston, L-C Valley Habitat saved her home.

Click here to listen to a short clip of Janet telling her story.

Brittni is an industrious, hard-working mother of a delightful 17-month old little boy she describes as “the light of her life.” Brittni is devoted to providing the best possible future for him. However, the outdated baseboard heating in her apartment is expensive to run and poses an elevated risk because they get overly hot to the touch and previously burned burn him. She stated “I have to turn the heaters off at the breaker box and use space heaters in individual rooms, just to keep my son safe.”

As a single mom, Brittni struggles to make ends meet with high rent and utility costs as well the costs of raising a child. She works full-time during the week in a medical office and weekends at a local retailer. Plus, she is attending school full-time online in her “free time.” Her commitment to providing for herself and her son and vision for the future made her an ideal Habitat homeowner. We are proud to share that Brittni and son will be starting the new year in their new, energy-efficient, 2-bedroom home with a zero-percent interest!

Upon seeing the house for the first time, Brittni exclaimed “it’s beautiful!” And she shared that she is excited that her son will finally have his own yard to play in as he grows. Curl family, we hope you share many happy memories together in your new house. Welcome home!