Deana has lived through many challenges, but one of the most stressful was watching her home slowly deteriorate while she struggled to find help. An active leak in her roof allowed water to pour into her living room, and despite applying through a city program for low-income homeowners, months passed without a solution. Eventually, she learned that no contractor had accepted the job and her paperwork had been forwarded to Habitat SKKC.
That referral changed everything. When Habitat became involved, Deana immediately felt supported. Habitat SKKC staff visited her home and assured her that the paperwork she had already completed would be sufficient.
Like her struggles to find help with her home, Deana’s life is a history of resilience. Originally from Oklahoma, she worked as a sheet metal worker and was able to transfer her job to Washington when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Deana and her children moved so she could spend time with her mother during her final weeks. Deana eventually settled in Federal Way and remained in the home she shared with her ex-husband, though after he left it became difficult to maintain.
Deana is proud of her children and the lives they have built. Following Deana’s advice to pursue a trade, her daughter became an electrician, worked in the field for many years, and eventually became a teacher at the apprenticeship hall. Her son, after overcoming medical difficulties earlier in life, found stable employment in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance. Deana’s greatest hope was that her children would never have to endure the hardships she had faced. Both of her children are now married, and Deana is the proud grandmother of a four-year-old grandson.
Now retired, caring for others remains central to Deana’s life. She looks after her 85-year-old aunt, who recently lost her husband, and she regularly assists a neighbor suffering from serious health issues. She adds, “I take care of people; it’s what I do.”
As a person who has devoted her life to caring for others, Deana was happy to feel cared for by the Habitat SKKC repair team. The roof replacement was completed in less than a week, a remarkable turnaround after a long period of uncertainty. In addition to replacing the roof, Habitat later helped remove two massive maple trees and trimmed another oak tree whose falling branches had been damaging her home. The trees stood nearly eighty feet tall, and Deana described them as “monsters” that constantly threatened her roof. Having them removed brought an enormous sense of relief.
The repairs to her home have dramatically improved Deana’s sense of comfort and security. She explains, “I no longer have water leaking into my living room because of the roof they put on. And I no longer worry myself sick about limbs falling onto my roof because the tree has been taken down now. Habitat has been my salvation.”
