MEDIA INVITE: Breaking the Cycle: After Moving Nearly Every Year as a Child, Young Dad Gives His Family a Permanent Home

OKLAHOMA CITY — At 4, Lafayette S. loves attending pre-K at Piedmont Early Childhood Center, building with LEGO bricks and learning about weather, tornadoes and other natural disasters. His hardworking father, Kevin S., already predicts that his son will become a television meteorologist one day.

“He will outsmart me one day,” Kevin said. “That’s the plan. That’s the goal.”

Lafayette, his mother, Jennifer A., and Kevin will join Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity (COHFH) staff, local clergy, and family and community members to celebrate the purchase and dedication of their new, energy-efficient, affordable home. The dedication will begin at 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Aug. 20, in Cornerstone Creek, Oklahoma City.

Born in Texas, Kevin moved to Oklahoma City at 12 and now says, “In my heart, I’m an Okie.”

As the oldest of five children, Kevin remembers his hardworking family moving nearly every year—from rental homes and apartments to even a mobile home—because of the economic pressures of raising a large family on a limited income.

The longest his family remained in one place was about two years. Kevin attended two middle schools and two high schools, repeatedly leaving behind familiar neighborhoods, classmates and routines.

“I could never say, ‘This is my neighborhood,’” he said. “I don’t want my son to go through that.”

When Kevin was a junior at Douglass High School, he met his longtime sweetheart and partner, Jennifer, then a sophomore. They’ve been together ever since. As parents, they are determined to give Lafayette the roots and security Kevin rarely experienced as a child.

Kevin is now a production supervisor at Nortek Air Solutions, where he leads a team of about 30 employees. Jennifer, 23, is a stay-at-home mother. Kevin describes Lafayette as “smart, creative and genuinely funny” and says his son already loves learning.

After a year of living with Jennifer’s mother, the family rented a house she owned. Although they were grateful to have a place to live, Kevin said that renting could not provide the permanence he wanted for his family.

“I never want my son to feel that anxiety — ‘Where are we moving next year?’” Kevin said. “I want him to be able to say, ‘This is my neighborhood. This is my home. This is ours.’”

Kevin said he would work “four jobs” before allowing his son to experience the housing insecurity he remembers from childhood. “I’m absolutely ecstatic about our new Habitat home,” he said. “I’ve always wanted my son to have the proper structure in place for his future.”

Through COHFH’s New Home Construction program, qualified future homeowners invest 100 hours of sweat equity, complete first-time homebuyer education and purchase new Habitat homes at cost with a mortgage and no down payment.

“Kevin and Jennifer are giving Lafayette the roots and stability Kevin always wanted as a child,” said COHFH Chair/CEO Ann Felton Gilliland. “Their hard work, love for their son, and determination to build a strong future embody what Habitat homeownership is all about. We are honored to welcome this remarkable young family to Cornerstone Creek.”

For more information about Habitat, call 405-232-4828 or visit www.cohfh.org.