Hindsight is 20-20.

There was a time when Casie Polmanter disregarded advice from her mother to apply for a Habitat for Humanity home. She was struggling with recovery from cancer treatment and just couldn’t see herself as a homeowner at the time.

Fast-forward to today and a 180-degree change of mind. Life in an unsafe neighborhood and a cold two-bedroom apartment with not enough room have Casie, Jacob Benham and their two children, Kendra, age 5 and Tyler, age 1, thinking differently.

So last year, Casie took her mom’s advice. She and Jacob applied to Habitat in August 2018, moved quickly through the program, and look forward to completion of their 2019 Women’s Build home on Judd Avenue. The couple has volunteered many hours at the Habitat ReStore facility where they received steady encouragement.

They’re completing their home ownership education requirements, and are looking forward to helping finish their own home. They praise especially the Habitat classes on budgeting and financial management, particularly what they’ve learned about managing credit card debt.

When asked what they tell friends who ask them about their Habitat experience, both Casie and Jacob say, “qualifying for a Habitat home seems almost too good to be true. We thought we’d always have to live in substandard apartments because home ownership in Bloomington seemed far beyond our reach. We’re so excited that our dream will soon become reality!”

The Benham family home is sponsored by Women Build.

 

 

 

 

Beginning in 2001, the women of Bloomington and Monroe County joined together to build homes partnership with families in need. The Women Build homes are built in just over a week, and all volunteers are women. Teams of friends, colleagues, and those who just want to make a difference assemble to sponsor each day of the build. Each builder commits to giving or raising a minimum of $250 to assist in sponsoring the home (purchasing land and building materials).