Jewels doesn't talk about hardship the way you might expect. She talks about it the way someone does who has learned, through years of surviving it, that hard things don't get to define her.
Twenty-one moves. A domestic violence situation she found the courage to leave. Years of raising her son alone on a single income, stretching every dollar between rent, basic needs, and the hope of something better. Their last rental had rodent infestations, wasp problems, gaps in the door, no working stove, and a bathroom fan that hadn't functioned in six months. When the landlord stopped paying the water bill and it was shut off in their first weeks there, Jewels didn't spiral. She problem-solved. She always does.
A friend mentioned Habitat for Humanity. Jewels looked it up, read the history, reviewed the eligibility, and decided it was worth trying. That's who she is — someone who does the research, takes the step, and figures out the rest as she goes.
When she got the call that she had been selected, she cried.
"I felt a sense of relief," she says. "I had an opportunity I otherwise would never get."
Then she got to work. Jewels showed up to her build site and learned to caulk, dig trenches, and tile. She met volunteers from across the state and country, watched high schoolers give their weekends, and saw what people had chosen to donate. It moved her deeply. "I often teared up seeing all the hard work and what people donated," she says. She wasn't just receiving a home — she was building it, alongside a community that believed in her.
The results speak for themselves. Since Jewels and her son stopped moving, his grades climbed from failing half his classes to a 3.4 GPA. He is happier. He is settled. And Jewels no longer lies awake worrying about mice, mold, asbestos, lead paint, or the water being shut off.
"I am so grateful I can provide a clean, safe home for my son," she says
Her mortgage is about the same as her old rent. But now every payment builds something. With the financial breathing room homeownership gives her, Jewels is dreaming bigger — going back to school for her Master's degree, or maybe starting her own nonprofit one day. She has always been someone who turns her own experiences into fuel for helping others.
This will be the first time in seventeen years that Jewels and her son can fully unpack. Not just their boxes — but themselves.
"I have peace of mind knowing I won't have to move anytime soon," she says. "A place that is my home. A place I can create memories and have peace. A place I feel safe in."
She looks forward to the day her son's friends come over, and someday his grandchildren too. She is building a foundation — not just a house — and she knew long before Habitat did that she was capable of it.
To the volunteers, donors, and supporters who walked alongside her, Jewels's message is generous, just like she is:
"Thank you. Everyone that donates their time — it is truly life changing for me and my son. Because of what people have given, I have the opportunity to finally give my son a home."
Julie built that home. We just had the honor of showing up.
