By Susan Carroll
Review Writer
Missy Francis and her children soon will be taking possession of their new home constructed by the many, many volunteers at Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County (HOC) and community building partner, Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church.
Groundbreaking on the Lake Orion home was last spring, and construction started mid-September and continued until the second week of December, starting back up again in March.
Many of the volunteers are members of Christ the Redeemer Church, but people come from all over to help on the project.
With the exception of skilled trades work (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) the home is being built by volunteers.
Melissa, or Missy as friends and family know her, grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and has five children: Stephen, 25, William, 23, Marigrace, 21, John, 20 and Mark, the youngest at 13.
“I am a 51-year-old single mom struggling to restart my life after devastating changes. But that is not who I am. I am generally a happy and optimistic person,” Francis said.
After fleeing an abusive marriage and relocating across the state to the Oakland county area, Missy wants to give her family a safe and stable home they can share. Neither of which they have in their current two-bedroom walk-up.
“There is not enough space for everyone currently living there. Right now, my son John and Mark live with me and share the second bedroom. Marigrace just moved into campus housing at Oakland University, but she stays with me holidays and between semesters. At those times, she sleeps on my sofa.”
The home is nearing completion with some flooring, countertops and the shed needing a little more time, said Michael Evola, who retired from Evola Music Center in 1996, and now is an irreplaceable volunteer for HOC.
The passive solar home, located on Hill Street in Lake Orion, was designed to be energy efficient and strategically placed on the lot purchased by the organization, for that reason.
The house is equipped with a 2-stage furnace and is insulated and sealed so well that it requires an energy recovery ventilator, which provides outside air to the interior of the home.
The rental Missy and her family currently live in is drafty and under-heated. Mold is a constant problem.
“I need to regularly clean the bathroom ceiling with bleach, but it does not keep the mold away. Mold also grows on all of the windows in the winter. When I clean it with bleach it goes away, but then it comes back,” she said.
Missy holds a bachelor’s degree from Oakland University and now works as a legal secretary.
“Making enough money to live on has been a challenge. I was a stay-at-home-mom for 13 years and restarting my career has been difficult. I am starting over with nothing. At 51-years-old I don’t have much time to work.”
A moment of frustration led Missy to apply for the Habitat Homeownership Program.
“I thought it would take me 5 to 7 years before I could ever qualify for a mortgage and it was incredibly defeating,” Missy says. “I have experienced homelessness and being forced to depend on the kindness of others for shelter. If you don’t have a home you feel kind of like an orphan.”
With the help of Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County and a home of their own, the Francis family can begin building a secure future.
“I just want peace and comfort. I want things to go well for me for a while. I certainly feel that, with the help of Habitat, my luck has changed for the better! I am so moved that people who don’t even know me are willing to step up and help me. I feel humble and grateful.”
Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard Fuller and Clarence Jurden, who believed everyone should have a safe, decent and affordable place to call home. HOC just celebrated 20 years, and has served more than 200 individuals and families.