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As a cancer survivor, Teresa is used to facing challenges with courage and determination. But when her heating and air conditioning system stopped working, the struggle to find a solution stretched into many months. A number of repair technicians looked at the unit, and their consensus was that it was far too old to salvage. The only option was to replace it entirely.
The estimates were $10,000 to $16,000 – well beyond what Teresa could afford, as she is limited in how much she can work due to lingering health issues from the cancer treatments. She spent a lot of time and effort making calls and filling out forms with organizations in the community that do repairs. Everywhere she turned she ran into a roadblock. Sometimes her problem was beyond what the agency had the expertise to do, or the application process was complicated, or the waiting list was so long that the agency was not even accepting applications.
In the meantime, Teresa made do the best she could. In the summers, she got by with fans. In the winters, she covered her windows, wore many layers of clothing and ran space heaters during the day.
Then, in October 2025, Teresa joined the waiting list for the Habitat Repair Program. In early March, she learned that her HVAC would be replaced. “I was so impressed at how supportive the Habitat staff was and the compassion they had for my situation,” she said. “My whole experience with Habitat has been positive. The staff were very responsive and got back to me. You can tell when someone genuinely cares and is listening to you.”
After a long day of work, the Habitat repair team installed a new HVAC system that now keeps Teresa comfortable in her home once again. “It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off me,” she said. “It has been a very humbling experience. I thank God and I thank Habitat. You are making a difference in the quality of my life and so many other people’s lives.”
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