Brandi's Family

I am Brandi, a mother of four beautiful children. Kynnedi, who is 14, Benson, who is 12, Timber, who is 7 and Kaycee, who is 5. We are all of Indigenous background, from Sunchild First Nation, in the Treaty 6 Territory. Our family has been living in Central Alberta, moving many times. We are now excited to move back to Blackfalds, to a home built by Habitat for Humanity Red Deer, through the Buy Back Program under the Affordable Homeownership Program.

I first left my home reservation when I was just 17 years old, as I wanted to further my education. Currently, I am pursuing post-secondary education, working towards earning my Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies with a major in Criminology and a minor in Communications. I must balance work, school and supporting my family. Having four children is busy! My family is passionate about hockey; we all play in the winter. My two sons play at the elite level, so we don't have a lot of free time, as we are mainly on the road for the season. Our favourite saying is "We interrupt this family to give you hockey season". Outside of hockey season, my two daughters, Kynnedi and Kaycee, and I dance Jingle on the pow wow circle. I also enjoy beading and sewing when I have some free time.

The Affordable Homeownership Program felt like a positive option for my family, providing the stability and security that we were looking for. Over the years, we've had to move frequently, often due to the high costs of renting, but the challenges were not just financial; we faced and still do face racism from some neighbours based on assumptions and judgements about what they heard about Indigenous populations, without actually getting to know us. With the current high costs of the rental market, it has been difficult to find a space that fits our family. I take care of my father, and he lives with us. Having him here with us and having his own room is something we had hoped for. The kids would either have to share space with each other, or we would end up with small spaces and no yards. We always made the best of our situations, as we told each other, as long as we had each other and a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs, we believed that one day the Creator would bless us with our forever home.

I first heard about Habitat Red Deer when they were building in the Evergreen neighbourhood. I applied at that time, and although my application was not selected, I was encouraged to apply again. I applied for the second time, and the application process was very simple, with staff answering my questions perfectly. I was beyond happy when I found out I was selected. I ended up crying tears of joy to my auntie on the phone when I called her to let her know. This has been something I have been praying for, to have our forever home.
We could not be more thankful, as we now have a place to make memories, grow, and we don't have to worry about moving. My children were very excited to see that they had a big and spacious home, where they didn't have to share with each other anymore. They now have privacy when they need to be alone or just wind down from the day. My children feel a lot safer in their new home and neighbourhood; they aren't scared to go out to grab things in the car or sit outside on the deck. They can play and enjoy the outside again!

Having a Habitat Home allows us to grow into our next goal of financial stability. A home with an affordable mortgage will provide us with the opportunity to try to save money for a trip. My children have been asking to go on a family trip, but I never had the money to save for such an event. Moving into our new home gave them hope. They all asked right away, "So we can save to go on a family vacation now?" Something so small to many, but something huge to us, as we were privileged enough to do so.

I am really looking forward to our first Christmas in our home. I can already picture the decorations, the family dinner, and seeing my kids happy. I also look forward to some pieces that might be common to others, but special to me. I am happy to have stability, without worry of moving again. We have a house to call home and make our own! We can paint our own rooms, decorate our home, and most importantly, practice our beliefs and traditions. We will be able to smudge every day and every night when we wake up and go to sleep. My children will be able to grow up in the same home, not have to worry about packing or if they will need to make new friends if we move to a new neighbourhood, they can make friends over, have sleepovers and just get to be able to enjoy being kids. Owning a home with Habitat has really changed all our lives, and for the better. It is such an awesome feeling, and I am still in shock that this beautiful home is ours. I couldn't thank Habitat for this amazing next chapter in life that my family will embark on next.