Daysha is a single mom to her amazing daughter, Destinee. “As the oldest kid in my family, I saw my mom deal with single parenting,” said Daysha. “The moment I had my daughter, I wanted her to have more than I had.”
The two were living in substandard housing conditions in an apartment with leaks and infested with insects. Daysha attempted to purchase a home through another program but made the difficult decision to quit when it began to negatively affect her studies. She heard about Habitat Greater Orlando through a friend. “It is an opportunity to not only purchase a home but to have something of mine built that I can actually call my home,” she said. “In addition to building a solid foundation for both me and my child.”
Daysha and Destinee are both students who are incredibly hard working and earn straight A’s in school. Daysha is a full-time nursing student who will graduate from Seminole State College and start UCF Nursing School soon thereafter. She also works as a part-time care technician at Florida Gastroenterology of Central Florida all while she was working diligently to provide her sweat equity hours and attend the 17 classes for future homeowners. Her ultimate goal is to become a nurse practitioner.
She said that her daughter gave her support during the year-long process to homeownership. “Even when things get tough, she is there saying ‘Mommy, don’t cry. It will be ok. Let’s read the Bible.’ It gave me comfort,” Daysha shared. “I own it; my daughter owns it. It shows her to never give up going for what she wants!”
Daysha said she couldn’t have done it without the Habitat Greater Orlando staff. “They are so understanding and patient and assured me that everything would be ok. They said, ‘Trust and believe in us that wherever we place you will be better for you.’ As Liz Alicia-Madera, Homeowner Services Director noted, “We lay the stepping stones and they do the walk.”
Daysha is so excited to finally be a homeowner. “I never thought I’d be at this point,” she said. “Being a nurse as well as owning my own home. Never let any of life’s obstacles interfere with your goals.”
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