Karni Family Success Story

In 1997, Jenny Karni and her husband, Aveshy, made the move from Israel to the United States with their three young children. After living in Indiana for one year and Florida for one year, they decided to move to Fort Collins, Colorado, a decision that truly changed their lives forever for the better.

After moving away from Israel, the Karni’s were living off of their savings, but by the time that they decided to move to Fort Collins, they had depleted a majority of their funds. The Karni’s were living at Country Ranch in Fort Collins, paying out a steep monthly rent rate for a too-small home, and Jenny was not working because she had three very young children at the time and daycare was much too expensive. “My kids are my life, we sacrificed a lot so that I could be home with them,” says Jenny about the decision to be a stay-at-home mother and wife. “It’s hard, in that type of situation, to imagine ever being able to own a house.”

At age 31, Jenny’s sister Nina approached her with the idea of applying for a Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity home. Jenny was convinced that their family wouldn’t qualify, “I just kept thinking that this wasn’t for people like us,” but after a few weeks of deliberating Jenny decided to learn more about Habitat. “Once I found out more I really liked the idea of partnering to build our house. It really is a hand up not a hand out, and we were willing to work for it.” 

When the Karni’s were accepted as a Partner Family, they were excited to get started. Jenny was pregnant throughout the build of their Habitat home so she opted to work at the ReStore to complete her sweat equity hours while Aveshy helped to build the home that they now live in. Their build took six months, and Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity took into consideration the fact that the Karni’s are Jewish and allowed for their Synagogue to build on Sundays rather than Saturdays.

Jenny’s Habitat advisor Karen, offered support and encouragement throughout the build process. “Karen and I really connected, she understood where we were coming from because she had been in the same situation. She made the entire process comfortable for us and she is an unbelievable woman.” Karen and Jenny remain in contact to this day and Jenny will forever be grateful for the assistance that Karen provided to them throughout the entire process.

 “The whole experience was positive. I really feel like our house was built by God and with love. That’s the thing about Habitat, everyone that was there was there out of the goodness of their hearts.” It was due to the 0% interest that allowed for the Karni’s to pay their bills and ultimately begin rebuilding their personal funds. Once their Habitat home was built, the Karni’s started a business out of their garage. Aveshy, a very talented carpenter, began to build furniture and arcs for Synagogues. “We were able to get ourselves out of the hole that we were in. The business didn’t last, but it served its purpose and we were finally out of debt.”

Now, years later, the Karni’s are ready to move on from their Habitat home. Jenny has been a nurse’s aid for four years at the local hospital and will be finishing nursing school in 2012, while Aveshy was recently promoted to Plant Manager at Point 5 Windows. The Karni’s recently purchased a new vehicle and are planning a trip to Israel to visit family. “It’s nice to not have to worry anymore,” says Jenny about their current financial situation, “It’s nice to go to the grocery store and buy what we want, and it’s nice to be able to allow our children to participate in sports and extra activities,” in fact, one of Jenny and Aveshy’s boys, Yaneve, participated as a competitive gymnast before opting to play football with his classmates.

When asked what advice she would offer someone who is considering applying for a Habitat home, Jenny says “Don’t second guess. Go for it. Be willing to partner because this is the hand up that will help you achieve your goals. It is a gift and a blessing, and if you are in need and you are given the opportunity, take it.” Jenny wants the stigma around Habitat built homes to change, “You should be proud to have a Habitat home. We didn’t want anyone’s pity and we worked really hard to get where we are.”

Michelle's Family

Michelle and her children are thrilled to have been selected as one of the newest Habitat Partner Families. Construction on Michelle's home has begun and is scheduled to be completed this fall. Michelle knows all about hard work and determination. Since beginning with CSU in 2006, she has managed to earn her undergraduate degree and will complete her master’s degree at UNC by year’s end.

Although tough, these last few years have only served to bring this family closer together. Now, with the help of Habitat, Michelle is more motivated than ever to see her family’s dream of a permanent home come true. “My kids are super excited to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us and cannot wait to be a part of a neighborhood for the first time.”

Kristie's Family

Being selected as one of Fort Collins Habitat's newest Partner Families is a testimony to Kristie Rae's ability to overcome obstacles and persevere. Kristie's value of stability is witnessed by her longevity in her profession as a hair stylist and she is committed to providing this same stability for her daughter in a place they can call their own. They eagerly anticipate becoming part of a neighborhood where they will have the opportunity to make a long-term investment in their community. Having been chosen as the next PresBuild II sponsorship recipient, Kristie looks forward to working with numerous Presbyterian churches who will help make her dream of homeownership a reality.

 "Being selected as a Partner Family allows me to fulfill a dream, a dream I thought was out of my reach. I am very proud to be part of this extraordinary endeavor. These churches are not only building a house where my daughter and I can build our future, they are building our home. We are filled with hope, gratitude and encouragement." 

Cyndi’s Family

Fort Collins native, Cyndi and her family were truly surprised to learn that they had been selected as one of Habitat for Humanity’s newest homeowners. It's clear that Cyndi is hardworking and puts her children first, sacrificing to make life easier for them. The children are very involved in sports and Cyndi makes their schedules and activities her priority. They are well-rounded children who share their mother’s hope of one day having a home of their own in a neighborhood where they can safely play outside.

Cyndi’s vision is to watch her children grow up and she is excited to partner with Habitat to see her dream become reality. Cyndi says, “It makes me very proud to be called a homeowner knowing I can provide a safe, stable environment to watch my children grow up. It also fulfills a lifelong dream of owning my own home.”

Jennifer’s Family 

For Jennifer and her family, the significance of having a stable and permanent home is rooted in her family history. The daughter of parents whose families were migrant farm workers, Jennifer witnessed firsthand the struggle it took for her parents to become homeowners. As a child, she also experienced the devastation of losing that home due to her father’s illness. Understandably, permanent roots are important to Jennifer and her two children, who are native Fort Collins residents.

When they found out they had been chosen to be Habitat homeowners, her son's reaction was, "when do we start?” Such heartfelt enthusiasm was contagious and motivational to all of the volunteers and sponsors involved in building their home. Jennifer worked long and hard toward this goal and found it hard to believe that it was actually happening. When asked about a future that includes a Habitat home, Jennifer replied, “My hopes for my family include us starting a new life in this new home; a place in which my children will have a stable home environment they can call their own; a place they will be proud of. My hopes are to build this dream together with my son. Hopefully this will reinforce our bond as mother and son. This is the beginning of a great journey that we will share as a family.”   

Colette’s Family

Mother of three, Colette found it hard to believe that she was chosen as a Habitat homeowner.  She and her family are so grateful and blessed to say they are part of the Habitat family. As a parent, Colette faced many obstacles in providing for her family. Through various health challenges and many personal losses, this close-knit family has persevered and even overcome. Homeownership remained a dream that always felt just out of reach.  “Owning a home means a lot to me as I’ve never owned a home before. It’s a goal of mine to prove not only to myself but others that all of my hard work getting through rough patches in my life would someday pay off.” The blessing of their new home has been made possible by pairing a modular home donated by Joe and Melissa Basta with land gifted to Colette by her parents.  “Our hope for the future is to make the new home a place that can remain in our family. My parents were very thoughtful to bequeath the land to us and I want to pass this home on, progressively improving the property into something my parents would have been proud of. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all of the individuals who have helped to build this home. I am so appreciative.”

Equal Housing Opportunity Statement: We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.