Wells Fargo, Habitat help a mom build her home

Watch the family's story

Shaquawanda, Homeowner:

My name is Shaquawanda. This is the oldest, Ricara. This is Makhia, the next one. This is Malique. This is Makera. And this is Taaliyah. I’ve been looking to own a home maybe five years because I wanted to leave something behind for my kids. And having the income for a down payment, it was ridiculous.

Taaliyah:

This is my mommy.

Shaquawanda:

Having a home will change me and my kids’ lives because we’ll have a backyard to play in, they’ll have their own room finally, and it’s like it’s something that we all have been looking forward to.

Wanda McPherson, Shaquawanda’s Mother:

So many nights that me her talked about, when she said, ‘Mom, I’ve been looking for a house. Looking for a house. I can’t find a safe place for my kids to lay their head.’ I said, You know what? Let’s try Habitat. I said, Habitat will be the best thing for you.

Shaquawanda:

And again, I can’t thank Habitat and you guys enough for what you’re doing for me and my family. Thank you guys.

Julie Davis, vice president of Corporate and Cause Marketing Partnerships, Habitat for Humanity International:

Wells Fargo has donated over $119 million to Habitat for Humanity and our affiliates. Through that money we’ve been able to build new homes, repair homes. And we’re so grateful for those contributions that really help us drive affordable housing across the U.S.

Mary Mack, CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking, Wells Fargo:

Also today, announcing the renewal of our commitment to Habitat at $7.75 million across the country. We know at Wells Fargo that affordable housing, the ability for everybody to have a home, is a real issue across the country. It’s a product of systemic inequities, and we’re committed to be a part of the solution.

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386 homes. In 2021 we helped families, build, rehab, and repair 386 homes across the U.S.

Mack:

Habitat and our partnership with Habitat, which goes back 20 years, is an important part of the solution, which allows us to go into over 200 communities and put 350 families in their first home.

Shaquawanda:

I grew up in a Habitat home, and I had great memories there, so I felt amazing when I received the news of getting a home, because I know that all my hard work is finally paying off. You have to do 125 hours in the ReStore. The 125 hours goes toward your hours for you to pick your lot.

Mack:

We have promised Shaquawanda she’ll be in by the holidays, and so we’ve got a lot of work to do.

(One, two, three.)

Shaquawanda:

I’m overwhelmed today because I see it’s a house now, you know, and not just grass, not just dirt. I rolled by here last week, and none of the walls were put up. Literally, it was just the foundation now. My 17-year-old, she’s tired of sharing a room with her sisters, and she’s older. So, it was like she wants her own space. And I’m excited for her to have that. I’m excited for all my kids to have their own space. And I know our lives, it basically is only up from here. So I feel blessed.

Shaquawanda’s two-year journey toward homeownership has included hundreds of hours of volunteer work at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore, after which she was able to select the location of her future home from Habitat’s available lots. (3:00)

"All I can think about is how much this means to my kids. When I finally got accepted into program, they were like ‘we finally get our own rooms, we finally get a yard.’ That’s big for me, just to know I can accomplish something for them.” — Shaquawanda

“We at Wells Fargo know that affordable housing — the ability for everybody to have a home — is a real issue across the country,” said Mary Mack, [retired] CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking for Wells Fargo and a Habitat for Humanity International board member. “It’s a product of systemic inequities, and we’re committed to being a part of the solution.”

Shaquawanda and her family of five are just one of the many reasons why Wells Fargo has partnered with Habitat for Humanity over the last 20 years. In fact, Shaquawanda grew up in a home built by Habitat, and her sister also owns one.

“When I got accepted in the program, my mom pulled out her scrapbook for us to go through,” Shaquawanda said. “That’s why I’m so happy for my kids — because I remember good memories in the house I grew up in.”

For Shaquawanda, it’s been a two-year process and hundreds of “sweat equity” hours, including volunteer work at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore which sells discounted building materials and home goods. After logging 125 hours, she earned the opportunity to select the location of her future home from Habitat’s available lots. In addition to making a small down payment and monthly mortgage payments, Habitat homeowners must put in 300 sweat equity hours which may also include volunteering on a build site or taking financial literacy classes.

Having the tools to look ahead

While generational wealth takes years to build, it starts with a vision, an opportunity, and a first step. “A lot of people my age aren’t looking to be homeowners,” 33-year-old Shaquawanda said. “But I see a bigger future for my kids. All I can think about is how much this means to my kids. When I finally got accepted into the program, they were like ‘we finally get our own rooms, we finally get a yard.’ That’s big for me, just to know I can accomplish something for them.”

Habitat works with families to help them repair their credit, attend financial counseling, and pay an affordable mortgage. “We’re committed to successful homeownership,” said Julie Davis, vice president of Corporate and Cause Marketing Partnerships for Habitat for Humanity International. “We have a continued connection with the families.”

“I’ve been in my Habitat home for 22 years,” said Wanda McPherson, Shaquawanda’s mother, and an escalations representative for Wells Fargo. McPherson’s home was built through Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity a few years before she joined Wells Fargo. “When we moved into that house, [my kids and I] were so excited. They had their own backyard to play in. It was just a blessing. I think we screamed and hollered the whole first night.”

“It’s still our family house now. I know I can always go home,” Shaquawanda said. “And now my kids will know that this is the house they can always come back to.”

“Their lives are going to change,” McPherson said. “They won’t have to worry about going from apartment to apartment. They’ll have their own rooms. It’s going to be marvelous. It’s going to be fabulous.”

It will still be a few more months before Shaquawanda can move into her new home. “On that the first night, I’m just going to enjoy it,” she said with a smile. “I’ll probably sit there for hours thanking God that I’m where I am at today.”