“The kids are super excited to have a room of their own.”
19
Tyfanie Petersen, mother of two
NEWS |
Family gets Habitat for Humanity house WINTHROP HARBOR – Tyfanie Petersen and her two children own a home in Winthrop Harbor today thanks to Habitat for Humanity and Bank of America. The single mom of two smiled as she greeted family and friends March 1 at the door of her new address, while her 9-year-old daughter, Makalah, and 8-year-old son, Devon, played in the backyard. “The kids are super excited to have a room of their own,” Tyfanie Petersen said. “Makalah plans to paint hers pink because that’s her favorite color.” The home dedication was slightly different than most. It included an appreciation speech from Habitat for Humanity Lake County’s executive director Julie Donovan to their partner, Bank of America, for donating the foreclosed Winthrop Harbor property so only repairs and renovations were needed instead of building a home from the ground up. The bank has donated seven properties to Habitat for Humanity in the past two years, said Carolyn Hanes, a representative of Bank of America who handed the house keys to an emotional Tyfanie Petersen. “This home symbolizes a new beginning for you and your family,” Hanes said.
Yadira Sanchez Olson – For Shaw Media
Carolyn Hanes of Bank of America hands over the keys of a rehabilitated home in Winthrop Harbor March 1 to first-time homeowner Tyfanie Petersen, who worked with Habitat for Humanity to buy the home.
Know more For information on Habitat for Humanity Lake County, visit www.habitatlc.org.
Representatives from the Koening and Strey Foundation, which help support the rehab of the home, also were there to welcome the new homeowner with housewarming gifts. It costs Habitat for Humanity a lot less to rehab a home than to build one, Donovan said. The bank’s rehabilitation program has donated homes in the Waukegan, Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor are areas. “The donations of properties by Bank of America is a tremendous boost to our efforts to re-
vitalize neighborhoods in our area,” Donovan said. For Tyfanie, the home dedication was the end of the road for a lot of hard work and the beginning of a better life for her and her children. “Nothing about this program has been easy,” Tyfanie said. “You have to take classes, and there’s a lot of paperwork because they have to see you’re serious about wanting to be a homeowner, but it’s all worth it. I never thought a single mom like me could have a nice house in a nice area.” After the Petersens’ home dedication, the parties moved the welcoming wagon to the home of John and Brittany Taylor in Zion. They got the keys to their first home thanks to Habitat for Humanity in January.
“This bill helps ensure that all hard working Americans receive a living wage that supports themselves and their families.” Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illinois
Schneider cosponsors minimum wage bill SUBURBAN LIFE MEDIA U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) cosponsored the Fair Minimum Wage Act, HR 1010, which would raise the minimum wage over a period of three years from $7.75 to $10.10 an hour. The bill also indexes future annual increases to inflation and gradually increases the tipped minimum wage to 70
percent of the federal minimum wage. In addition to cosponsoring the bill, he signed a discharge petition to bring the Fair Minimum Wage Act up for an immediate vote. The House would be required to consider the legislation if a majority of Members sign the petition. “While our economy continues to show signs of recovery, too many working families are still struggling to make ends
meet,” Schneider said. “This bill helps ensure that all hard working Americans receive a living wage that supports themselves and their families.” Rep. Schneider is a member of the House Small Business Committee. The 10th district includes the communities of Zion, Winthrop Harbor, Grayslake, Round Lake Beach, Waukegan, Mundelein and Libertyville, among others.
GurneeSuburbanLife.com • Thursday, March 6, 2014
By YADIRA SANCHEZ OLSON editorial@lakecountysuburbanlife.com