By Jeff Paul and Ariane Kjellquist
Some of you may remember the story we shared a few years back about Habitat homeowner Tikisha Mwetta and her son, Terrell (pictured). If not, you can read it here.
Terrell has since graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Oregon and now works as a staffer for Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) often sitting at the table during negotiations with other senators. At the beginning of COVID, Terrell decided to come back to Asheville and work remotely from home. To say that Tikisha was grateful to have him home is an understatement. She was overjoyed! He was home for about six months and recently decided, since he is able to work from anywhere, to return to Portland to be near friends. Eventually, he’ll be back in DC as things open up.
Here in Asheville, Tikisha continues to be active in Habitat’s Twin Springs community, and beyond. She and her neighbors have taken the Little Free Library (LFL) to a whole new level including a small food pantry and herb garden! Neighbors share cans of food, garden vegetables in the summer months, eggs from a local community garden/chicken roost and can pick a sprig or two of the various herbs they grow right on the roof of the LFL!
For Tikisha and Terrell, their Habitat house has served as a foundation for a better future, a refuge in challenging times, and a place to always and forever call HOME.
Thank you to all the Asheville Habitat supporters – donors, sponsors, volunteers, advocates, ReStore shoppers and donors – for helping families like the Mwettas build a better future on the foundation of a stable home. As their story shows, the benefits of safe, stable and affordable housing are lasting and far reaching.
