We recently connected with one of the first Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity homeowners, Lilie. In 1991, her family became the sixth household to partner with GMHFH and purchase a home through our homeownership program.
As Lilie begins to share her story over the phone, her attention is drawn to a cardinal perched outside her window. With its vivid red shade, it represents a silent messenger of new beginnings, connection to loved ones, and unwavering hope.
In that moment, the cardinal becomes more than just a passing sight. It mirrors the very essence of Lilie’s journey. The path that led her to homeownership, and the years of growth and resilience that followed, align perfectly with the symbolism of this beautiful bird.
The power of community
Lilie, her husband, and her two children were living in the Old North End in Burlington when she first learned about Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. A family friend had purchased the fifth Habitat home, and she heard firsthand about the homeownership program and what their experience had been like.
Inspired by their story, Lilie and her family decided to apply for a home, despite the many challenges they were facing—health issues, financial instability, and overcrowded living conditions.
When news spread that a new home was to be built, Lilie and her family didn’t hesitate to get involved. They began volunteering on the construction site every Saturday, eager to contribute and be a part of the community-building process. Her children, too, were right there with them, making the experience a family affair.
“They were with us everywhere at the time,” Lilie recalls. “There was a mound of clay and gravel out in the front lawn that my children would play in every day we volunteered. My daughter had her Barbie dolls, and my son would have this old, rusted truck, and they would play.”
One day, while Lilie was working alongside a group of Care-A-Vanners, a traveling group of Habitat for Humanity volunteers, she overheard a conversation between one of the Care-A-Vanners and the President of Green Mountain Habitat at the time.
“I’d like to know, who are we building this home for? Can we meet them?” the Care-a-Vanner asked.
The President smiled and pointed in Lilie’s direction, saying, “As a matter of fact, we’ve just chosen them.”
In that moment, Lilie learned that her family had been selected to receive the home they had worked so hard to help build. It was a moment that felt both surreal and deeply meaningful, as if all their efforts and struggles had led to this single, transformative point in time.
Life as a Habitat homeowner
As she circles back to that day, Lilie reflects on the special moments that followed, before officially purchasing their home.
Recently, she came across the speech she had written in pencil to thank the Habitat community at their welcome home celebration.
When asked about the moment as she stood before those who had worked alongside them to build the home, Lilie recalls, “I wasn’t even able to speak because I was just crying, and I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth.” After the house was completed, Lilie and her family finally stepped into a new home and a new chapter of their lives.
Though her own search for homeownership had come to a close, her commitment to uplifting others was just beginning. Inspired by her journey, Lilie joined Green Mountain Habitat’s Family Support Committee, eager to guide and support families who found themselves in the same position she once had.
“Seeing families go through that same experience, knowing the challenges they’re facing, and walking with them through it—it was life-changing,” she shares. The fulfillment she felt from helping others who were once in her shoes became a profound and rewarding part of her own story.
Lilie and her husband lived in their Habitat home for nearly 30 years, before passing it down to their daughter in 2019. Today, her daughter is the current owner, continuing the legacy of hope, resilience, and community that began with Lilie’s own journey to homeownership.
