Meet Trish.
For years, Trish has fought to keep her family safe, fed, and together through trials that would have broken many.
As a single mother of 4 boys, three that still live at home, she
has endured illness, abandonment, financial hardship, and housing instability–all while fiercely protecting her children. Years ago, a devastating battle with undiagnosed Lyme disease and a severe co-infection left her bedridden and struggling to perform even the simplest tasks. As she slowly regained her health, she faced another heartbreak: her marriage ended, leaving her to raise her boys alone while battling the physical and emotional toll of her illness.
The last decade has been a daily fight for survival-navigating the trauma of her children’s loss of two father figures, supporting a son in mental health crisis, and working tirelessly to keep a roof over their heads. When severe mold was found in their rental home, the health of the entire family was at risk. Desperate for a safe place to live, Trish found herself in a housing situation that wasn’t ideal, but at the time felt like the only option to keep her children sheltered.
“I was out of choices, out of hope, and exhausted,” she says. That all changed the day she received the call from Habitat for Humanity. Her family had been selected for an affordable, safe home of their own. “I honestly cannot convey in words what that moment meant to me,” Trish shares. “This home will always be a symbol of strength and hope–a reminder to never give up, because your whole world can change in one moment’s time.”
For the first time in years, she and her children can dream beyond survival.
Habitat for Humanity is giving Trish’s family more than a house-it’s giving them a foundation to rebuild their lives. “The staff have made me feel heard, validated, and supported,” she says. “They truly care.” Now, the Park Rapids community can rally around them-to swing hammers, share skills, and donate so that this home can rise from the ground. Together, we can help givethis family the fresh start they’ve prayed for, and the hope for a future that Jeremiah 29:11 promises.
