New home brings new beginning for Rochester family through Habitat For Humanity

It’s a new beginning for a single mother in Rochester, as she moves her family into their new home thanks to Greater Rochester Habitat For Humanity.

Shuane Williams has taken personal loss as an opportunity to give back. In 2013, she lost her son to gun violence.

“It was the most senseless thing to happen to our family, and I think that if you stay in the community and you see things happen, you can’t stay angry. So, what do you do, right?” said Williams.

She decided to create a youth advocacy program to give Rochester kids support and a voice.

“It was something we started for our children to be able to advocate for themselves. We wanted children to be able to stand up on their own and be able to speak about things going on with them. We find out they speak to themselves more than they speak to us,” she said.

Williams and her daughters will soon move into the new home in the Beechwood neighborhood, with the help of Habitat For Humanity.

She is the first homebuyer in her family, and also had a hand in construction, putting in 300 hours of work toward the build.

“This is a dream come true for me. I’ve literally been trying to do this since my son passed away. Not only did Habitat nail it, they gave me exactly what I wanted,” said Williams.

“There’s something really solid about an owner-occupant who moves into a neighborhood, puts their stake down and says, ‘I’m going to take care of this neighborhood because this is where I live.’ They’re more likely to look out the window and say what needs to be fixed versus turning the other way and wondering when something’s going to happen,” said Matt Flanigan, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Habitat For Humanity.

Williams says she didn’t turn away from the city after the loss of her son. She reflects on the decision to stay as this new chapter begins.

“So many people run away from the violence in this community. So many people go, ‘Oh, well this should happen, and we should do this.’ Then, they move out. So, how are you helping your community if you’re not here? In order to help your community, you have to stay inside your community. So, it’s very important for me to stay here in the city of Rochester,” said Williams.

This home build is the second of 2024 for Habitat For Humanity. It was also made possible through a partnership with Avangrid and RG&E as well as Bank of America.

Original Article: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/new-home-brings-new-beginning-for-rochester-family-through-habitat-for-humanity/