NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Habitat for Humanity and Publix Charities teamed up to bring a South Florida single mother closer to making her dream of homeownership a reality.
When Paola Deschamps discovered the supermarket company was sponsoring a home of her own in Northwest Miami-Dade, it was a gift she never saw coming.
“On behalf of Publix Charities, we actually want you to know that Publix Charities is sponsoring your home,” said Publix district manager Chadi Majzoub at a special ceremony, Saturday morning.
“Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much,” said Deschamps.
“Publix Supermarkets is also going to help make your house a home by filling your pantry and your refrigerator up with free goods,” Majzoub continued.
The sponsorship is helping the 28-year-old single mother fulfill a lifelong dream. “I really wanted to own a home at some point in my life, but I have student loans and stuff like that,” she said. “It just didn’t seem like a real possibility for me.”
Deschamps, a City of Miami public service aide and the mother of a 7-year-old boy, is putting in 250 hours of what they call “sweat equity” into her new home, alongside other future homeowners who share similar stories and dreams.
“Whether it’s my home or someone else’s home, the fact that I’m doing something towards being able to reach my dream of owning a home, and the fact that that I’m helping someone else get their home, which I’m sure is a dream for them, too, it definitely makes my heart feel full,” said Deschamps.
It doesn’t stop with just Deschamps’ home. Publix Charities, with Habitat for Humanity, is making owning a home a reality for many families.
“This is part of a $5.5 million donation to 120 Habitat affiliates,” said Majzoub. “This will fund 16 new homes in 2017, two of which will be in Broward and two of which would be in the Greater Miami area.”
“Thank you. I don’t want to cry,” Deschamps said to her well-wishers.
This was a surprise for a mother and her son just in time for the holidays. “As a mom it means the world to me, because it’s something that I’m able to pass on to my son,” she said. “It’s something that I’m able to do so he’s able to have space to grow and play, and just something that’s his own.”
Deschamps will be able to move into their new home in less than a year.
WSVN is a proud sponsor of Habitat for Humanity. For information on how you can volunteer, call 954-396-3030 in Broward and 305-634-3628 in Miami-Dade. You may also log on to www.habitatbroward.org or www.miamihabitat.org.
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