'Please Take Off Your Shoes' — In 1998, my two sons and I moved into our Habitat for Humanity home in Waukegan, Illinois. Our lives haven't been the same since!

By Diane Butler

Whenever people come to my house, they know the rule: At Miss Diane's, you take off your shoes at the door. And if your socks look dirty, those come off, too! That's just how I am about my house. It's really a piece of my heart.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that nine years ago I was working three jobs to make ends meet. I lived paycheck to paycheck with my two sons, then ages 5 and 7, in an apartment so small you could stand in the middle of the living room and see the whole place. It was roach-infested, too, but I had to make do with what I could afford.

One day my mother told me about a flier she saw for an organization called Habitat for Humanity that helped low-income people get their own homes. She said I should go to the information session. I just didn't believe it. I knew I didn't have enough money for a house, and I couldn't believe anyone would just help me get one! Finally, my mother made me go to the information session—and I still didn't believe it.

Even so, I continued with the process, including an interview in my home. The Habitat coordinators met with me to see my current living conditions and be sure I had enough income to afford the monthly payments. Although your mortgage is interest-free, you have to pay the monthly mortgage, which goes back to Habitat to fund future homes. You also pay your own utilities and taxes.

When I found out I was approved for a home I was so excited, and my sons immediately started imagining where the dog and doghouse would go, and where they'd put up the tree house.

As soon as my local Habitat affiliate approved me for a home, I got started by putting money into an escrow account every month. I also had to put in hundreds of hours of volunteer time. Even though I was working those three jobs, I was determined. I wanted this new house, and I would do whatever it took.

I volunteered my time in the office, helping with mailings, and I helped build homes for other recipients. I was quite dirty a lot of the time from hanging beams in the basement, putting up drywall and painting, but I just had to laugh at myself and think, 'I can't believe I'm doing this!' There were many days I cried because I was so tired, but I knew it would all pay off in the long run.

When it was time to build my house, it was incredible to see all the volunteers who came to help. I kept thinking, 'Why are they coming to help me? They don't even know me!' That was very heartwarming. The volunteers were knowledgeable and patient. They showed me how to do different things and guided me along the way.

When the house was finished and I walked inside for the first time, I couldn't believe it was really mine. It's even more special because my house was built on land that used to belong to my parents' friends long ago; I used to play in this very spot when I was a kid.

My mother's first words were, 'I told you so!' For the first two or three years, she was constantly bringing her friends over to tour it. And ever since then, all of the family holiday dinners are at my house.

I always tried to teach my sons, now teenagers, that if you work hard, you will succeed; now they have witnessed this firsthand. Both Deon and Demitrius are very involved in sports and both are drummers on the school's drill team. My oldest son is even on the honor roll. It makes me so happy to know that my sons have a safe place to live and play--and that all their friends love to hang out at Miss Diane's house, too.

But first, they have to take off their shoes!