SAINT JOHN - The sentimental classic I'll Be Home for Christmas is sure to have special meaning to single mom Andrea Galbraith and her two children, Scott, 7, and Kristyanna, 6, this year.
Andrea Galbraith and her children, Scott, 7, and Kristyanna, 6, share a moment in front of their new home, being built by Habitat for Humanity.
That's because the Galbraiths, chosen last spring as the recipients of Habitat for Humanity Saint John Region's 11th build, expect to be in their new digs on St. Andrews Street in the city's south end in plenty of time to celebrate the holiday season.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would own my own home," said Galbraith, 35, as she and her children waited for Habitat's Friday noon-hour 'Celebrate the Build' ceremony in front of their impressive, but unfinished future home.
"We're hoping to be in our home for Christmas," said Galbraith, who currently lives in subsidized apartment housing in the city's north end.
"This is an amazing opportunity," she added. "It means we're going to have a healthy, safe home. I'm going to be able to provide a stable environment for my children to grow up in, and learn and become good contributors to society. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would own a home."
Scott and Kristyanna, whom she enrolled in nearby St. John the Baptist-King Edward School in September, also seem to be fully aware of the impact home ownership will have on their lives.
Galbraith told friends, neighbours, politicians and Habitat sponsors and volunteers who gathered for the ceremony that Scott, in a Thanksgiving assignment, said he was thankful the "big, big, big house and big yard" his family would be getting. And asked what having a new home means, Kristyanna told a reporter, "It means a better life."
Friend Sabrina Thompson, a part of Galbraith's project support network, thanked Habitat for giving Galbraith a hand up and not a handout, as Habitat describes its international work in alleviating poverty housing.
"I can't think of more deserving person," she said.
She spoke of how, in making application to become a Habitat recipient, Galbraith wrote: "I want a yard for kids to play in. I want to give them a chance at a better future."
As part of the 500 hours of sweat equity Galbraith is required to put into the new home, as a recipient, she has established a data base of future suppliers to Habitat projects and decided to become a "lifelong" Habitat volunteer.
Habitat's treasurer, Ray Littlewood, chaired Friday's ceremony, while its secretary, Jeannie Richard, made the symbolic gift of a hammer to Galbraith, telling Scott his mother would use it to hang up family photos and the awards he and his sister collected at school.
Coun. Donnie Snook prayed a blessing over the home and the Galbraith family, while Jack Keir spoke of how he gladly found land for the build when, in his role as supply and services minister, he was contacted by Habitat president Tim Ryan.
"It fits not only into what we want as supply and services, but also, as minister of energy, this fits very well with our Benefits Blueprint plan in terms of housing for those folks who need it most," Keir said.
Andrea Galbraith and her children, Scott, 7, and Kristyanna, 6, share a moment in front of their new home, being built by Habitat for Humanity.
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