Building a Better Life

Sarah Cacioppo grew up with big plans. She dreamt of being a doctor and owning a modest home with a yard. She finished high school and began taking college courses toward a biology degree. A series of life-changing events led her to rediscover her own strength and make homeownership a reality by partnering with Habitat of Humanity St. Tammany West.

Sarah grew up with her mother and brother moving from place to place, living in low-income housing, small apartments and trailers. When she was 16, she moved in with her father in his small house and helped keep it tidy.

While Sarah was in college, she lost her grandmother. “We were very close. I didn’t take it well,” she recalls. It was then that Sarah discovered she suffered from a medical disorder that landed her in the hospital twice. She stopped taking classes and was unable to take care of herself. Her mother stepped in and helped her apply for disability benefits to help cover her living expenses. It took two years for Sarah to recover.

Once she recovered, Sarah got a job where she met friends who were young and carefree. This crowd’s appeal was short-lived—Sarah got pregnant. “I know it wasn’t planned, but getting pregnant opened my eyes,” Sarah explains truthfully. Motherhood was a Godsend for Sarah. She got a better job, found she could afford to buy a Habitat home and went back to school. “I want a better life for us.”

Sarah works part-time and goes to cosmetology school. She loves spending time with her son Cameron, now a cheery two-year-old, and looks forward to finishing her schooling in the fall.

This fall is going to be an exciting season: Sarah will begin her new career and begin construction on her new home built with Women Build. “I’m grateful to Habitat for the opportunity to own my own house. It will be a place to call home for Cameron and me. That means the world to us.”