...Our Story

Imagine seven people living in a space so cramped they can't even eat supper together because the kitchen is too small for a table.

Imagine the chaos of mornings as seven people jockey for time to use the only bathroom in the house to get ready for work and school.

Imagine not knowing from day to day whether even that tiny space was a secure home for your family.

That was the reality for Malcolm Pelletier, Joyce Nesbitt and their five children, Darnell, Keisha, Cole, Shay-lynn and Makayla until Habitat for Humanity came along.

Still, moving into their new home on Elizabeth Avenue was a long-time coming for the family.

In 2009, when Habitat first came to Yorkton, they applied, but that build went to another family.

They applied again for the second build. The Family Selection Committee was happy to have a second chance to choose them, said Donna Evans, committee chair.

Joyce was ecstatic when they got the news.

"It just means everything to us," she said.

"This is something nobody can take away from us. Nobody can tell us that we're not going to be able to live here no more."

Unfortunately, the 100-year flood of 2010 delayed construction. And the original lot for the build at Dunlop and Betts fell through. The City eventually came through with a new lot on Elizabeth Avenue. The build got pushed to 2011 and into 2012.

So if the family was happy that day in 2010 when they were told they would be getting a house, imagine how it must have felt to finally collect their keys in March 2012.

"We've got something to look forward to now, and to keep us going as a family, just to keep us together really," Joyce said when they were finally able to move in.

They didn't just get a home, though, they got a huge sense of satisfaction from contributing to building that home. The couple went above and beyond the sweat equity requirement of 500 hours ending up clocking 800 hours.

"We wanted to see what all went in a house, and it's amazing what we learned building this house," Malcolm said. "You wouldn't think what's behind a wall, we never knew anything about building a house."

Dean Coots, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Regina, said that kind of commitment is a boost to everyone.

"To see a family do more than 500 hours encourages every single person who gets involved and every person involved in Habitat. It's encouraging and motivates us," he said.

Since their own build, the Family has remained involved with habitat. In addition to participating in new builds, Joyce encourages other people to get involved too.

She said it is fun and something that really makes a difference in people's lives. And who would know better than
her about that.

And they plan to keep volunteering.

"We'll be there for the next one, the next dozen, whatever it takes," Malcolm said.

That is one of the reasons Habitat for Humanity has been hailed the world over as a model of sustainability.

Like the Pelletier-Nesbitt family, many chosen families continue to give back, and not only by volunteering.

The new homeowners pay a mortgage and those mortgage payments go back into Habitat projects so even more families can get decent, affordable homes.

It truly is a win-win-win situation.