Women Build Homebuyer Lissy at her Jan. 25 wall raising.
For nearly two decades, Future Habitat Homeowner Lissy has called Florida home. Originally from Peru, she built her life in the United States, navigating the joys and challenges of raising a family while striving for stability for her two children. Now, as the 2025 Women Build campaign homebuyer, Lissy is partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties to take a significant step toward achieving her dream of homeownership.
Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build campaign engages women and men in the effort to provide safe and decent homes for female-headed households. Currently living in a three-bedroom duplex with her teenage son and a friend who rents one of the rooms, Lissy looks forward to a home of her own.
Over the years, the burden of moving was typically split between her and her sons, an 18-year-old and a soon-to-be 15-year-old. Without having a home base, these moves were a constant reminder of instability. “I felt like I couldn’t develop,” she said. “I was acquiring things, and then I had to resell them because I was moving somewhere else.”
Despite these challenges, Lissy has always prioritized her family’s well-being and values. Her sons grew up learning the value of hard work and community, currently volunteering their time to contribute toward their family’s future home.
Lissy is contributing 300 sweat-equity volunteer hours, attending more than 20 hours of homeownership and financial literacy classes, meeting regularly with a Habitat housing advisor and will pay $2,000 towards closing costs for her home.
Her new home will represent more than just a roof over her head; it will be a hub for her family and community. “It will be a family center,” she shared, envisioning gatherings with friends and loved ones in a space she can finally call her own.
This Women Build campaign is about empowering women like her to achieve their goals, share messages of hope, and inspire others to persevere. “No matter what situation, they need to keep trying and looking for ways to keep their family values together,” Lissy said. “There’s always a way here in this country. It may take some time, but there’s always a way. Like for me, it took time, but I have a way now.”
