Finally home: Mom of two gets the keys to her first house
Growing up, Angeline Spence lived in more than a dozen different homes. At the age of eight, she was removed from her family and placed in Manitoba's child welfare system.
"I lived with different families, I lived in group homes, I didn't really have a place to call my own," Spence told Now or Never's Trevor Dineen.
But the single mother of two is determined to make sure her kids grow up differently. She has dreamed of having a safe place her kids can call home.
This month, Spence fulfilled that dream. She was handed the keys to her new home, built through Habitat for Humanity.
When Spence was 16 she became pregnant with her first child. Not long after, she found a spot in Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre's residential program, which helps Indigenous families gain strength and independence.
Spence now works at Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata, and gives back by helping other Indigenous single mothers succeed. It's also where she was introduced to the idea of possibly owning her own home through Habitat for Humanity.
"I was at a general meeting at work, Habitat for Humanity came by, did a presentation and wanted to get more Aboriginal families applying for Habitat. So since I work for an Aboriginal organization that's non-profit, that I just thought: I'm gonna try to apply. So I did."
And 500 volunteer hours later, the fruits of her labour are finally paying off. Part of those "sweat equity" hours included getting her hands dirty by helping to build her own home.
"I spent a whole five days working on my own house… and even to invite my friends and co-workers to come volunteer with me was cool."
Spence comes from a huge family — she has 17 siblings. Out of all of them, she is the first to be a homeowner. She said she is proud to be able to provide a permanent home for her kids.
"I think it's kind of like a new beginning — kind of leave the good, bad, and the memories, and start with new memories. So it'll be quite different where I can have my kids there, and just have that stability," she said about her 15-year-old daughter, Jade, and 10-year-old son, Mitchell.
Now or Never was there when Spence walked into her newly built home for the first time. And when she walked through front the door, her eyes lit up. "This place, I hope to be, for my kids to be there when they go to college, and finish school, and come back [here] with their families when they get older."
You can see more photos of Spence's home below. Listen to her full interview by clicking the 'listen' button above.
