Founders: The Davis', The Perneys, and the Browns Vyriece and Denise celebrate!

On March 26, 2010 a Morgage Burning Celebration took place at Goodwill Industries for two Habitat families who paid off their mortgages this year. Habitat Homeowners Vyriece Daniel and Denise Smith participated in this first ever Mortgage Burning Celebration. Founding Members of the Indianapolis Habitat affiliate were alo present to congratulate these two families.
Congratulations Vyriece and Denise!
Thank you to all the Habitat supporters over the past 22 years for helping to make this happen!

To see pictures from this event, Mortgage Burning Celebration.

Updates on the Homeowners:

Meet Vyriece Daniel: Homeowner since 1990

Vyriece Daniel has lived in her Habitat home for 20 years and paid off her mortgage this year! Vyriece first learned about Habitat from a friend and remembers the 400 hours of volunteering that she had to complete to be a Habitat homeowner. She has enjoyed being a homeowner and “the freedom of knowing that it is yours.” Vyriece’s home has also been shelter for her two sons who now live on their own and for her mother who passed away August 2009. Since becoming a homeowner, Vyriece has completed her obtained a Bachelors Degree and a MBA (Masters in Business Administration). She recently started her own business as a virtual assistant to provide accounting and marketing services via the internet. She plans to use the extra money she will have in her budget after paying off her mortgage to put up a fence around her yard. She reports being “much more of a handywoman since becoming a homeowner.” Vyriece thanks “God for the kindhearted people” who helped her to get a home!

Meet Denise Smith: Homeowner since 1994

Denise and her five children were living in a crowded 2 bedroom apartment before becoming Habitat homeowners. Denise reports that building her home was a family project and remembers she and her children participated in many aspects of the building of their home. Denise has continued to value service work since becoming a homeowner and is currently a HOST mentor for the Wayne Township School Corp., a mentor at IUPUI, and a mentor for Training, Inc. Since becoming a homeowner, she has completed her undergraduate degree and is currently working on a Masters in Library Science. She currently works for the Brightwood Library as a Youth Public Service Associate. Denise’s oldest child Stefani, who is developmentally delayed, resides in their home and her two youngest children, Courtney and Stefan, return home on their college breaks from Purdue University and Cleveland State University. Her second oldest daughter, Dana, is married with one child and is a homeowner herself. Dana graduated from IUPUI and is currently pursuing a MBA. Her oldest son, Chris, recently graduated from Harrison College. Denise states that her biggest success is her children and how they have turned out. She is also proud of what she has accomplished, adding that she hasn’t “done it alone.” Denise encourages new homeowners to ask questions and access the support and resources available.