Natasha’s amazing story is centered around her love for her kids. As a single mom of three–Tayon (17), Ariyah (12) and Natayah (10)–she puts her children above everything else.
As a family, Natasha and her kids enjoy spending family night in, watching movies or playing games. They even consider themselves movie buffs! Natasha loves playing older video games with her children, like Pacman, because her kids never expect her to win, even though she played it when she was their age! When they’re not watching movies or playing games, Natasha, Ariyah and Natayah love cheering Tayon on from the sidelines as he plays football for his high school.
For the past five years, Natasha has worked as a Warehouse Manager for Coca-Cola. She loves her work, saying that every day is different, and she loves the challenge. Despite her rewarding career, Natasha would not have qualified for a traditional mortgage. After Ariyah was born, Natasha began looking into different options for affordable homeowership. She decided to apply for the Knoxville Habitat homeowership program but was told that she needed to work on a few things before reapplying. She worked with the Family Services department on ways she could build up her financial stability and made up her mind to take charge of her situation.
Almost 10 years later, her best friend, a current Habitat homeowner, convinced her that it was time to reapply. All her hard work has paid off, and she could not be more excited for this next step towards stability. She looks forward to having “stability and solid ground” and is so grateful for the opportunity to provide a home for her children.
While this home will mean a lot to Natasha personally, it will mean even more to her because of what it means for her family. They currently live with her mother in a small home, with Ariyah and Natayah sharing a room. While Natasha is thankful for this opportunity to save money for her future and have her mother’s help with the kids, she is excited for her children to have their own room to be comfortable.
Currently, everyone does their homework in the living room at the same time. Natasha said she is most looking forward to everyone being able to focus on their homework individually in their own room, where they are most focused and comfortable. She believes that their grades will improve when they have their own space to study, and she is right. Knoxville Habitat homeowners have reported that their children’s grades have improved 48% after moving into their stable home.*
Natasha also believes that her kid’s quality of life will improve when they have their own home. She wants them to grow with confidence and know that they have their own space where they belong. Again, this is supported by the experiences of previous and current homeowners … an astonishing 84% of Knoxville Habitat homeowners report an improved quality of life and a higher satisfaction since becoming homeowners.
All in all, Natasha is so thankful and excited to see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” She is finally realizing her dream that has been ten years in the making and could not be happier. Tayon is looking forward to building their home alongside his mother. Since Ariyah and Natayah are too young to help build the home, Natasha had kept their new home a secret … until they received their purple homeowner shirts. To surprise them, Natasha had them wear the shirts and drove them to their future home site for the family photo pictured here! Thanks to The Insite Group, Knoxville Mortgage Bankers Assocation, and Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, this incredible family is building strength and stability through a safe and affordable home!