Serving Herself Justice

Khaalida Jerome Blackwell is working to “get on her own two feet.”

After moving out of her mother’s house, she planned to rent an apartment and considered finding a roommate to share expenses so that she could save money to buy a house. She was not sure how she would make it happen or how long it would take, but she knew she wanted her own house.

Khaalida has a stable, full-time job at the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, serves part time in the Army National Guard and is saving money for college tuition while currently living with a few friends. Although she is grateful for having a roof over her head, she is distraught at the poor condition of her temporary space. She is especially concerned about the health and well-being of her two-year-old son. “The trailer is unsanitary and structurally unsafe,” she lamented. “I can’t allow my son leave the bedroom we share.”

Khaalida applied to buy a home with Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West to begin a new chapter of her life, one she said she desperately needs. She works nearly every day on her sweat equity hours before she goes to her job. “I’ve never worked outside on a house like this before. It’s harder that I thought it would be.”

When she began working on house construction with Habitat, she said it was inspiring to work alongside the volunteers and construction staff. She was impressed with the women on the construction staff, saying, “These women know what they’re doing!”

Khaalida’s ultimate goal is to move into her new house before her son “really understands how bad our living conditions are right now.” She looks forward to providing a safe, healthy home where she and her son can live and grow.

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