LeChelsea

When Beverly’s stepson was killed, her marriage of 18 years traumatically ended. Her husband changed the locks, and she and her three teenage children found themselves homeless and with nothing.  

“He had always been the provider,” 26-year-old LeChelsea said of her stepdad. “It was a huge turn.” 

When LeChelsea started college, she, her brother, her sister and her mom were living in a hotel. LeChelsea made a big decision. 

“I decided I wanted to step up and help,” she said. “I applied for a Habitat home back then. I was a student at AU and working part time and didn’t have enough income to qualify. We found a two bedroom home in Belton, where we still live.” 

It’s difficult, LeChelsea said. For starters, the house has a huge mold problem.

“We have to constantly wash clothes because they smell of mold and you can see it on your shoes,” she said. “And the central heat and air went out right after we moved in and was never fixed.”

So after college, LeChelsea got a full-time job at Mergon and applied for a Habitat home again. This time, she was approved.

“What we’ve been through, my mom has sacrificed a lot for us,” LeChelsea said. “She physically can’t do this, so I want to be the one to give that back to her. I want to see mom’s sacrifice meaning something.”

Her mom’s love and support is why LeChelsea is where she is today.

When LeChelsea was in third grade, her teacher told her she couldn’t read well enough and she’d never graduate. LeChelsea felt defeated.

“I stopped trying because it felt like it didn’t matter what I did,” she said. “I couldn’t do it.”

Then her mom enrolled LeChelsea in a private Christian school in Belton. She remembers the teacher who encouraged and tutored her.

LeChelsea graduated with honors and went on to Anderson University, where she also graduated with honors and a degree in education.

When she’s not at Mergon, LeChelsea is a volunteer teacher at her old school, and she hopes to get hired on someday.

“It made a big impact on my life,” she said. “I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else.”

Now, Habitat is teaching LeChelsea some things, especially through the required financial classes.

“There are so many life lessons. They talk about being patient and thinking through decisions,” she said. “You can use that in all parts of your life, not just financially.”

The Habitat home is a new start for the whole family, who’ve been working on their sweat-equity together. After so much loss, they are rebuilding.

“It’s one big family at Habitat,” LeChelsea said. “Being my family was on the verge of breaking, having other people I can hold dear to my heart has meant a lot to me.”

Tragedy nearly tore the family apart, but their Habitat home is uniting them, LeChelsea said.

“It means hope!”