MEET OUR FAMILIES
THE
WAY
FAMILY
The Way family, originally from Thailand, embarked on a significant journey in 2006 when they applied to relocate to the United States. After a decade of navigating various challenges, they finally achieved their dream in 2016, settling into their new home in the U.S. Despite facing difficulties due to language barriers, the family's determination and the support from the staff at Habitat played a crucial role in their journey toward homeownership. The family is now excited to embrace their new three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, and they fervently pray for God's blessings to grant them a peaceful life in their new residence.
THE WAH PER PER
FAMILY
The Wah Per Per family's story is one of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of community support. Originally from Myanmar, they faced immense challenges due to limited access to resources and opportunities. Life was a constant struggle, with basic necessities often out of reach; however, their journey took a remarkable turn when they made the courageous decision to relocate to the United States in search of a better life.
​
With access to improved living conditions and an ample food supply, the Per family applied and were accepted into Habitat for Humanity's homeownership program. Despite facing language barriers and other challenges along the way, the Wah Per Per family has thrived while completing financial literacy courses and volunteer hours building the homes of their neighbors.
​
We are thrilled to announce our current build of the 120th Habitat home, the future homestead of the Wah Per Per family!
THE ROBINSON
FAMILY
This homeowner is a single mother to three wonderful children. When she is not working, she aims to be a positive addition to the lives of others around her by expanding her territory of volunteer work and through her strong belief in the Bible. She has been with Habitat through the struggles of the Covid-19 pandemic and says that even with difficult times, she’s been surrounded by a wonderful group of God-believers who have uplifted and stood by her family through their Habitat journey. Her heartfelt prayer is that those who are assisting the family and volunteer building their home receive double blessings for their efforts. She finds solace in the serenity prayer, seeking the wisdom to distinguish between what can and can not be changed. Her goal is to have her Habitat home paid off within five years and to continue helping others in her same situation. She states “Habitat for Humanity has illuminated my life and my children’s lives, offering hope for families that follow us. As we move forward, the lyrics “ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’re on the move, ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’ve got the groove” ring true, reflecting our determination to overcome obstacles and embrace positive change.”
THE TU
FAMILY
The couple, who met in school when they were 16, fled their home country of Burma (now known as Myanmar) in 1999 when their village was invaded and destroyed by the Burmese government. After moving to a refugee camp and struggling just to make ends meet and survive for over a decade, the couple was able make their way to the U.S. settling in Amarillo in 2011. They applied for an Amarillo Habitat for Humanity home, at the behest of another AHFH homeowner, and now—after successfully completing 30 financial literacy classes, investing over 500 hours (about 13 work weeks) of sweat equity while learning to build as AHFH volunteers along with their four beautiful children and saving for a down payment—the Tu family are the very deserving recipients of a Habitat home! They have looked forward to making a fresh start in a safe home with plenty of space for their growing family and are beyond thankful to everyone that helped make their dream a reality.
THE ABDELRAHIM
FAMILY
The Abdelrahim family joined the Amarillo Habitat for Humanity family in 2018. The father has been employed by JBS for the last 5 years while the mother is a stay-at-home mother to the couple’s sons, ages 4, 11, and 15.
Originally from Sudan, this couple fled the war-torn country and made Egypt home until they were able to relocate to the United States in 2015. Omel says that although she misses her family in Sudan, her favorite part about Amarillo is “that it is safe and people here are very nice”.
This family worked more than 750 hours volunteering with Habitat to help build affordable housing, attended 30 financial stability classes to prepare for homeownership, and saved a $1,500 down-payment for their home.
THE NOO
FAMILY
The couple are parents to four children. Originally from Burma, the couple migrated to Thailand seeking refuge from war and ended up in the Mae La refugee camp, where they resided for 24 years. They remember their home in Thailand as a one-room “building” made from bamboo with leaves serving as their roof. The home did not lock or offer any privacy or security for the family of 6 and the roof would rarely hold up during storm season.
This family set a goal of homeownership when they partnered with Habitat for Humanity in 2018 and have since completed over 800 volunteer hours, attended 30 financial stability classes preparing the family for homeownership, and have saved $1,500 for their required down-payment. The family says that their favorite part of being Habitat partners has been learning to build a home from the ground up and they can’t wait for the space they will acquire when they move into their four-bedroom Habitat home. Their home is the first in the new Lee Green's Addition to El Barrio.
.jpg)
THE
DURON FAMILY
This single mother has always dreamt of having a house to be “home” to her and her three daughters. She currently works as a full-time housekeeper where she has been employed for eleven years.
​
As a longtime Amarillo resident, she previously shared a two-bedroom rent house with her and her children, where they shared beds and never quite knew how they would pay for the high rent or utilities that come with renting. She thanks Habitat for a “big and wonderful opportunity” and says her “dream came true. We have a three-bedroom, two-bath house and it is finally our home”.
​
Her home was Amarillo Habitat's 115th build and the last in the Glenwood Park neighborhood.
THE HEL
FAMILY
The couple have been residents of Amarillo for more than seven years before they received their Habitat home. The family is originally from Thailand where they lived in the Mae La refugee camp for sixteen years due to the war going on in Burma. The family describes their life in a refugee camp as unclean. They dealt with illness, dirty water, a leaking home, and extremely small rations of food, including oil and beans every thirty days and rice every fifteen days. The family of 5 lived in a one-room home made of bamboo and leaves. The Hel’s dreamt of joining their family in America and after an eight-month wait, the family succeeded in achieving their goals. The father is employed by Tyson while his wife stayed home to raise their children.
THE LU
FAMILY
The couple moved to Amarillo in 2012 after spending 10 years in a refugee camp located in Thailand. Originally from Burma, the couple were forced from their homes as soldiers made claim on their land. The families that fled their villages found refuge in nearby forest regions, often with no food or necessities before making the refugee camp their home.
Fortunately, the mother’s sister (who is also in the Habitat for Humanity program) was able to make a new life in Amarillo where the couple followed and ultimately decided to settle with their family. Before their new home, the parents of six children were living in a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment. The family worked more than 700 volunteer hours for Habitat.
THE AGUILAR
FAMILY
The Aguilar family is a family of four. The mother has two amazing daughters and her niece. She is licensed massage therapist and certified medical massage therapist. There was a time in my life when the mother was homeless while she was pregnant and had a toddler. It was a very hard time for her. That is when she made a personal goal and promised to herself to some day not just have a house but a home of her very own so that no matter what happened in the life of her children, they would always have a home to go to. "Being a single parent and low-income family, this goal would not be possible without the help of Amarillo Habitat.”
THE DAHAB
FAMILY
The Dahab came to the United States to seek refuge after years of oppression from their government in Sudan. The mother's earliest memories as a child consist of running from village to village, every 3 - 6 months, as the Janjaweed militia burned the homes they lived in, stole their livestock, and tried to kill all the men in their homes. The families of the pair arranged for them to be married in 2001, as was customary in their culture, and in 2007, the couple became a family. After a continuous struggle, including losing their children, the mother was approved to join her husband in the United States in 2011. She was very scared to leave her family behind, not knowing anything about America, but knew she wanted to be with her husband wherever life took them.
​
The couple currently has 3 daughters and 1 son. They claim "the most amazing and exciting things about Habitat are the teamwork, the way we are treated, and that we learned to budget. Whatever we say would not be enough to thank you for all you guys have done with us!"
THE HAU
FAMILY
The Hau family are originally from Myanmar where they faced extreme religious persecution. The government soldiers would burn down their Christian churches, burn their crosses, and force civilians to carry 100-pound military loads from village to village. The couple (who had not met at the time) each fled to Malaysia, separately, hoping to find a better life, however, upon arriving they quickly recognized they were not going to find Malaysia to be the safe haven they desperately hoped for. Adults were forced to work 16 hours each day, 7 days a week, earning only $200 USD each month. The police officers regularly stopped civilians, forcing them to hand over their wages leaving nothing for families to support themselves. The father was robbed, beaten, and stabbed, which resulted in hospitalization for a month where he prayed for survival. The couple met in 2004 and were finally able to find refuge in Houston, TX, in 2007. After hearing that the JBS plant in Amarillo was hiring, the couple settled in the Texas Panhandle.
Although the family was residents of Amarillo for 9 years, the mother says she "never thought they would own their own home, but after many prayers, God opened a door to Habitat for Humanity". The couple began working for their home in January of 2016 and are expected to move in towards the end of 2017. They have completed over 700 volunteer hours to date, and are excited to provide a brand new home for their three children.
