Xueying Wang voting for the first time on Nov. 6! Courtesy: LJWorld.com and Shaun HIttle by Lindsey Slater
Nail Drive Ceremony: Saturday, November 17 at 9 a.m. 208 N. Comfort Lane
Lawrence Habitat is getting ready to start its 81st home and the newest soon-to-be homeowner has been waiting five years for the day to arrive. Xueying Wang left Beijing, China, for Lawrence, Kansas, in 2003. The change from a large, crowded metropolis to a smaller town in the United States was a good one for Xueying, or Ying for short.
Ying applied for Habitat home because she says in the Chinese culture, a family isn’t stable if they don’t have a home. “It’s like grass blowing in the wind,” she said. She knew she couldn’t afford to pay a mortgage on a home and Habitat was the best option for her family. “I wanted a stable and safe life,” Ying said. “I want my kids to be secure.”
Ying has two children, a 20-year-old son who is studying at Johnson County Community college, and a 6-year-old daughter, a first grader at St. John Catholic School. Ying is a student herself. She just started taking classes at Neosho Community College toward a degree in surgical technology. Her 70-year-old mother will also live at their new four-bedroom home at 208 N. Comfort Lane.
Ying said that while working on her sweat equity, she’s worked on many other Habitat homes and has met a lot of different people. She also picked up some tips about construction and home maintenance.
“I’ve been waiting for this day,” Ying said. Ying’s home will officially begin at a nail drive ceremony being held November 17 at 9 a.m.
Tagged: housing, Lawrence, homes, homeowners, Habitat for Humanity, affordable housing, poverty housing, nail drive, Lawrence Habitat
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