On Saturday, July 8, Army veteran Karmen got to celebrate at the dedication of her new home — Pikes Peak Habitat’s 4th Veterans Build! She and her sons, Jacob (age 10) and Paul Jr. (age 8), were joined by Karmen’s mom, sisters, and other family members, as well as Pikes Peak Habitat volunteers, corporate sponsors, and supporters Karmen had never even met!
Iain Probert, Pikes Peak Habitat’s director of strategic partnerships, emceed the event and presented Karmen with gifts including a Bible, symbolizing Pikes Peak Habitat’s Christian heritage; quilts created by Quilts for New Beginnings specially for her and her sons; and stuffed turtles made by crafters at Black Forest Lutheran Church. Then Alex St. Clair, construction supervisor, gave Karmen a golden hammer as a reminder of her sweat equity work and a mini-tool kit to help with home maintenance.
Pikes Peak Habitat board member and fellow Army veteran Paul Hasty presented Karmen with an American flag in honor of her service. He also read 1 Corinthians 13, replacing “love” with the word “home” because, as he reminded the audience, love is what transforms a house into a home.
At the end of the ceremony, Karmen got to cut the ribbon to her new home, and she and the boys went inside.
Although they’d driven by the home every day to chart the construction progress, it was the first time Jacob and Paul Jr. had gotten to see inside — and they liked what they saw!
“They were just so excited,” says Karmen. “They were running through the house and had so many plans for their rooms.”
On their first night, the family slept on a mattress, but then they went shopping and the boys got to choose their bedding. Paul Jr. selected Blank Panther, while Jacob went with Pokemon. They’ve shared a room all their lives, so they’re thrilled to have their own space.
“Boys sharing a room, kids sharing a room…it’s much harder because you want to be able to explore,” says their mom. “It’s always great to have that own room so they can be their own person.”
Karmen took this week off work to move and start settling in. She’s enthusiastic about what her home will look like once it’s decorated. “I cannot wait to be able to get my whole house furnished,” she says. “I want to be able to sit on my couch and this be home!”
She’s eagerly awaiting the delivery of her washing machine and dryer — the first time she won’t need to use a laundromat. She recalls the challenges of doing laundry during COVID-19, when finding enough quarters was a struggle because of the coin shortage. “That made it harder for you to wash your clothes,” she says, “so just packing it all up in my dinky car was just too much!”
Appliances are the first big purchase for her new home. “I can’t wait to wash my clothes without going to the wash house!” she says. “That will be better, and then after that I’m going to start furnishing.”
She looks forward to finding the perfect bench for the front porch and patio furniture for the backyard.
And she measured her front window for curtains — thanks to her new tape measure! “The took kit they gave me on Saturday came in real handy!” she notes.
As she sits on the front steps, where she’s already placed a large “Welcome” sign, Karmen muses on her family’s future here. “The boys love it,” she says. “It’ll be nice to see them grow up in [the home], and if they go to college, or if they go their own ways, then it’s always some place to come back to,” she says. “If they ever need anywhere to stay, they’re always welcome.”
For her own part, she thinks it’s the perfect home for her future. “You want to find a place that you’re going to grow old in,” she says. “I don’t see going anywhere else right now, because I’ve been in Colorado most of my life. I’m not going to start moving now!…I can see getting old in here.”
