"Habitat for Humanity has taught me so much. I have always been a caring person but after working with so many Habitat workers (Administrative and Construction), volunteers, and AmeriCorps personnel, I did not realize how many compassionate people there are who are willing to do so much for those who are in need. Thank you again and God Bless."
--Habitat Homeowner, Judith Hartzell

Building on Faith partner
Blessings Found

Judith Hartzell believes in miracles. She hasn’t led a charmed life; in fact, she’s seen her fill of adversity. But since she has been more involved with her church, she says she has witnessed God’s blessings more and more in her life.

After much soul-searching, Judith left her troubled marriage after 21 years. Even though it was the best decision for her family, she since has struggled financially and has lived in government assisted housing. “I lost everything but my faith,” she says. “Habitat for Humanity is an answer to my prayers. It will be so nice to live in my own house.”

Working full time as a physical office manager, Judith could not afford to buy her own house much less to pay for her three children’s college tuitions. It was difficult for Judith to accept that her teenage children were forced to grow up so quickly—working and practically becoming self-sufficient before they left home. “I try to help them whenever I can,” she says, “even though they don’t ever ask for anything.”

Judith remembers May 2005 as a turning point when she began tithing—dedicating a percentage of her earnings—to her church. “Some people might call it coincidence or good luck, but I call it nothing short of a miracle,” Judith says. Among the bounty received was a notice about her son’s college scholarship after he had already paid for semester on his own and a discovery that reaped $8,000 in back-due child support.

Along the way, Judith took a new job and was accepted as a partner with Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West in 2007 and by May 2008 she had finished most of her sweat equity hours. She began looking forward to the dignity that comes with owning your own home.

Perhaps the most remarkable blessing she received after her tithing was her boss’s offer to help find a lot in Covington on which she could build her Habitat home. In December 2008, he acquired the property and summarily donated it to Habitat on Judith’s behalf. The lot was subdivided to hold two Habitat homes, to be built with the local faith community’s support.
“I feel so blessed,” Judith says. “God blesses families who know they need God.”