Habitat home owner Kortinee Miller grew up in Champaign and loves having close relationships with her childhood friends from her Park Street neighborhood. ” My parents both worked and retired from Kraft, and all 7 of us kids were very connected with our neighborhood friends. I’m hoping our new Habitat home will give my daughter the same chance to live in a special neighborhood like I did.”
Kortinee and her daughter have a lot of fun together, but living in what Kortinee calls an “overpriced rental home” has kept them from doing more. “I’d love to take her to see more of the country, but it’s hard when I’m working full time, going to school; and frustrating when our rent never stops going up.
Kortinee Miller hasn’t even started on her Habitat house, but she knows she will continue to give back to her community when it’s all finished. “I went through high school, and Eastern Illinois University thinking I would pursue nursing, because I know that helping people is part of my nature. But in my current job as a youth counselor at the Pavilion, I’ve realized I wanted to learn more about the justice system. Now I’m working full time and pursuing my bachelor’s degree online in Political Science. I’ve always thought being a police officer would be rewarding-and it seems like a great way to give back to my community.”
“I believe that having this opportunity can help my daughter see how important it is to give back, and that those “who give up their time to volunteer are really like family because they are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.” I really love people—and feel like this opportunity to build with volunteers in our community will be good in so many ways for all of us to come together.”