On Saturday, United States Army Veteran Tanisha and her son Aidan participated in a special ceremony to dedicate their Habitat home on Adair Street in Douglasville.
The house was made possible by sponsors Lockheed Martin, The Home Depot Foundation, and the Winn 3 Charitable Fund, in memory of Mary Peace Winn, Frank M. Winn, and Judge Dan P. Winn.
For the past 11 years, Tanisha has worked for the Department of Family and Children Services, currently serving as a Program Administrator for Food Stamps and Family Medicaid assisting families with their basic needs of survival. She was a mother of two sons, but in 2015, her oldest Dominic passed away in his sleep at the age of 25. She and her younger son Aidan walked through this tragedy together and learned to appreciate the small things life brings. Aidan is currently 19 and a student at Kennesaw State University majoring in Industrial Systems Engineering.
Tanisha rents space in the home of a longtime friend, but most of her belongings are in storage. Despite having a stable career, good credit, and qualifying for a Veterans Administration mortgage loan, Tanisha has struggled to find an affordable home to purchase. She and Aidan feel displaced without a place of their own to gather during holidays and school breaks when Aidan isn’t staying in the dorms at KSU.
Originally from San Francisco, CA, Tanisha has lived in Japan, Washington DC, and Guam due to her mother’s career in the Navy. She then joined the Army which took her to Kentucky, Korea, and finally Georgia. Now, we can thank this U.S. Veteran for her service by allowing her to own a beautiful, yet affordable home and achieve financial stability for her family.
“We are so grateful for the partnership of these long-time sponsors and their continued dedication to supporting Veterans in our community,” said Jessica Gill, CEO, Habitat for Humanity, NW Metro Atlanta.