Three Generations Lifted up by the Howell Community with Livingston County Habitat for Humanity

Three Generations Lifted up by the Howell Community
with Livingston County Habitat for Humanity
By: Jennifer McGovern-Schoeff

In a quiet mobile manufactured home community in Howell, Michigan, Deb carried the weight of three generations on her shoulders. A long-time volunteer with the Salvation Army, she has spent years serving others, offering compassion, meals, and comfort to families in crisis. Yet this time, the crisis came to her own front door.

Her skirting on her home had deteriorated beyond repair. Cold air swept under the floors, and she received a final warning from her community management. To complete the repair or face eviction.
Deb had no way to afford the work. The fear was immediate and overwhelming. If she lost her home, she and her family would be displaced. The thought of her children and grandchildren facing homelessness brought her to tears. At night, she listened to the wind rattle the broken skirting and wondered if hope would ever come.

Then the community stepped in.

A generous $900 gift from St. Vincent de Paul enabled Livingston County Habitat for Humanity to answer the call. Our team removed every cracked, weathered panel and replaced it with new, durable aluminum skirting. When the final piece clicked into place, Deb stood quietly, her eyes full of gratitude. For the first time in months, she felt a sense of security. Her family would stay warm. They would be able to remain in their home.  This is the power of neighbors helping neighbors.

Across Livingston County, many families are walking the same tightrope of instability. Five percent of residents live below the poverty line. Twenty-eight percent work hard every day but still cannot make ends meet. Nearly one in ten homes is unsafe to live in. Among those at most significant risk are 10,800 veterans and more than 40,000 seniors, many raising grandchildren or caring for extended family in homes that are one repair away from crisis.

Your compassion builds the bridge. Your generosity brings hope.

We receive nearly 20 urgent repair requests each month from neighbors like Deb.
Right now, several seniors are waiting for help:

    • A neighbor who needs a ramp for safe entry and exit, costing $1,900
    • A senior who requires a grab bar for bathroom safety, costing $300
    • A woman living alone with a collapsed ceiling and leaking roof, costing $12,000, with donated materials offsetting part of the expense
    • An 89-year-old mother and her daughter who need a furnace before winter, costing $5,000, with a portion donated

Your gift can change their story.
Please give today to our Annual Campaign 2025 at www.livingstonhabitat.org
And help your neighbors reclaim safety, dignity, and hope right here in your community.
Livingston County Habitat for Humanity relies on the community's generosity to fulfill our mission. We are not a government agency. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and donations given to us are tax-deductible.