AUSTIN, Texas — So many things make Austin a unique place to live. There’s the diversity, the food, the music – and the cost of living. But there are some good people out there working to change that last one.
Every time a Texan becomes a new homeowner with the help of Austin Habitat for Humanity, it is a magical moment. Magic that couldn't happen without those behind the curtain.
“I can see my mom so proud,” said Angel Leverett, the director of marketing and communications for Austin Habitat. “That I get to help people get the opportunity that we didn't get to have ... It’s kind of like a dream come true if you think about it."
A dream job, making dreams come true for clients who couldn't do it alone. Leverett said "our abuelos and abuelas have taught us [to give]."
Sixty-five percent of these future homeowners are female-led households. Nearly half are Hispanic.
“Every build season,” Leverett said with tears in her eyes, “I feel like there's always a family that I really resonate with.”
That's because she remembers her childhood, including eating as much food at school as possible on Fridays because she "knew we were going to have a very limited amount of food to eat during the weekend."
Her mom, like so many in Texas, worked hard. But their family was fighting for the basics.
“And then rent goes up,” Leverett said. “And then gas goes up. And then groceries go up.”
Now Leverett is in a position to change lives.
“To play a role to help someone, especially a beautiful mom with a beautiful kid, achieve their dream of having a home – that's something I don’t have words to describe, to play a role in that," she said with a smile and tears in her eyes.
It's a role that keeps expanding. KVUE walked through the nonprofit's newest neighborhood being built in East Austin. It’s not far from the neighborhood Habitat just filled up with new homes. Between the two sites, 90 families will be changed forever – thanks to Leverett and thanks to Austin.
“Because it takes a village,” she said.
If you'd like to become a Habitat homeowner, the organization is looking for new families. Learn more.
If you're interested in volunteering, you can learn more here. You can also check out the Builder's Ball on Nov. 4. Tickets are on sale now.