A home means so much to this family. Ariana, their middle child, is severely handicapped and needs her own room because of the amount of care and medical supplies she requires. A nurse comes every evening to care for her, so having her own room is a must. She also needs a ramp for her wheelchair. A Habitat home will enable the family to finally have all the accommodations they need, something that renting an apartment does not allow.
Ken works in retail and Becky works at National Pharmaceutical Returns. Besides Ariana, they have two more children, Desiree and Alexander. Desiree hopes to go to college after graduation, but is excited for the opportunities a home will present for her brother and sister. Currently the family lives on the East side of Des Moines in an apartment complex. As Becky said during the interview, “we live there but it isn’t a home.” The apartment is too small for the family’s needs and Ken and Becky are looking forward to the day when their children can have a yard to play in.
One of the family’s main goals was to achieve their dream of homeownership, soon that dream will come true. In their free time, the family enjoys family outings to the movies, going to Grey’s Lake, and free concerts around Des Moines.