York Habitat volunteer acts as a guide on the journey to becoming a homeowner

At York Habitat for Humanity, building a home is about more than working with lumber and bricks. It’s a challenging trek for homeownership applicants, and Family Services Committee volunteers such as Ed Thibault are there to walk alongside them and turn dreams into reality.

While many people picture York Habitat for Humanity volunteers swinging hammers and hanging drywall at construction sites, Ed Thibault’s volunteer work occurs in a different but equally important space.  

​Ed, a business banker at Fulton Bank, helps prospective homeowners navigate the financial side of the Habitat homeownership process. He is a member of Habitat’s Family Services Committee, which plays a key role in identifying and recommending families, conducting interviews, and guiding participants from application to settlement and beyond. 

From caseworker to future homeowner

​For Ed, who is fluent in Haitian Creole, his volunteer role with York Habitat for Humanity started with a request that he provide translation support. Three years later, he’s still deeply involved in helping applicants prepare for homeownership. 

Recently, Ed began working with Shelda Philogene, who is on a path to owning a Habitat for Humanity home on Chestnut Street in York. For her, the journey to Habitat homeownership began through her career of helping others. 

Earlier, Shelda had attempted to purchase a home after taking a first-time homebuyer class offered by Community Progress Council. The process was far from easy. She walked through numerous houses but found that prices just kept rising.  

“It was almost two years, actually,” Shelda says of her house search. “It got to the point where I was like ready to give up.” 
Then she decided to reach out to York Habitat for Humanity. 

“So I heard about Habitat through, actually, Bell Socialization,” she says, referring to the agency that offers a wide range of programs focused on housing, mental health, and basic living support. “I’m a caseworker. My job is to provide as much resources as I can to the clients that I serve.” 
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She applied, was accepted, and began the process of completing her sweat-equity hours and educational classes that are required of all prospective Habitat homeowners.  

Next-level budgeting

One of the most important parts of the process for potential Habitat homeowners are monthly budgeting meetings. These involve practical conversations that prepare applicants to become financially stable, an opportunity to review income, expenses, and spending patterns. 

“We go over the numbers and see how they are on target,” Ed says. “And if there’s any opportunities to correct some things, we talk through them.” 

For someone moving from renting to homeownership, those conversations can make the difference between success and failure. 
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“As a renter, you have one set of responsibilities. But as a homeowner, it starts and stops with you,” Ed says. “It makes sense to build some reserves and have some money available for when these things happen.” ​

A hand up, not a handout

​One common misconception Ed often hears about Habitat for Humanity is that recipients are simply given homes. Actually, participants must make monthly mortgage payments. The classes they must complete and budgeting meetings they must attend, as well as the volunteer hours required, all are designed to set them up for long-term success as homeowners.  

“It’s not a handout, it’s a hand up,” Ed says. “You are getting a regular mortgage. It’s not a gift. You have to work. You have to put in a lot of hours of sweat equity.” 

While Shelda hasn’t worked on the construction of her home yet, she is performing sweat equity by volunteering at the York Habitat ReStore. The budgeting meetings, volunteer hours, and educational classes have helped her see the bigger picture of homeownership. 
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“It’s making me more aware, and it’s making me plan better, as far as expenses is concerned,” she says. 

‘Shoulder to shoulder’

As Shelda gets closer to moving into her Chestnut Street home, she encourages others to consider applying for the program. 

“I would say give it a try,” she says. “It’s such a great opportunity. You just never know.” 

For Ed, the reward comes from witnessing that moment when a family’s hard work results in homeownership. 
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“It’s life-changing. You see on the day that settlement happens that someone just became a homeowner for the first time,” he says. “I’m just there, shoulder to shoulder with them to help them do it.”