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The Peterson Family

Alan Peterson and his daughter Hope moved into their new Habitat home just after Thanksgiving. Their new house is special not just because it will provide a safe, decent and affordable place for Alan to raise his daughter, but also because it was the first home build fully funded by the Habitat ReStore. But perhaps even more special to the Peterson home is that construction focused on including technology and features aimed at making life easier for Alan and Hope, who both have severe hearing disabilities.
In the hallway of their home, the Peterson’s have a panel with a strobe light alerting them when the doorbell rings, if the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors go off as well as if their sump pump was malfunctioning. In addition to the panel, there are special lights in the bathroom that can be controlled from the hallway that enable father and daughter to communicate.

Approximately 75% of the volunteer positions on the Peterson home build were filled by ReStore staff and volunteers, giving those closely tied to the operation an opportunity to see their work come full circle. “I’ve been able to see the process from start to finish now,” says ReStore Co-Manager Beni Westgor. “I’ve unloaded a kitchen sink from someone’s car, made sure it’s cleaned and priced, helped a customer carry out the same sink for their own project, and seen how the $20 from that sink is building a roof for a family. What’s great is that hearing impaired or not, a hammer can speak for both of us, and we can work together to build a decent home for this family.”