A Repaired Life and a New Home

ABC's "Extreme Makeover" Home Edition Visits Former Hope House III Family and Hope House II & III

Women arrive at Mary Mother of Hope Houses I, II & III in need of repairing their lives. In addition to shelter, they are challenged to identify the root causes of their homelessness and to pursue a set of goals leading toward independence and self-sufficiency.

The process of renewal was exemplified by Ju-Juana Latif who experienced a transformation during her brief stay at Mary Mother of Hope House III several years ago and recently received a dividend on her investment, improving life for her family. On Tuesday, February 6, 2008, TV show host Ty Pennington arrived at Ju-Juanna's home on S. Clayton Street to announce that she had been selected to receive a makeover - but not just any makeover. ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Anderson Homes of Delaware, would be tearing down and rebuilding two homes for both Ju-Juanna, a mother of four, and neighbor "Grandma Rose" Morgan.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition production team was inspired by Ju-Juanna's determination and spirit. After a difficult childhood, she became a single mother at 16 and dropped out of high school. Desiring to get her life back on track, she obtained her GED with hopes of pursuing college and a career. Having been rejected by her family, Ju-Juanna's only option was to seek support elsewhere, and she turned to Mary Mother of Hope House III. "Ju-Juanna's stay at Hope House III was a turning point in her life, where she began to take control and make a better life for her and her children," explains Linda Richardson, Sacred Heart Village service coordinator, who was Ju-Juanna's case worker at Hope House III over 15 years ago.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition cast was supported by hundreds of volunteers and local businesses who donated their time, efforts, and products to help complete the week-long construction process. Meanwhile, the Latif family and Grandma Rose were sent on a Disney World vacation to await the revealing of their completed homes. While the houses were being built, work was also done on homes all along S. Clayton Street, stimulating a neighborhood clean-up that benefited the wider community. On February 12th, Ju-Juanna, her four children, and Grandma Rose returned to find two beautiful homes, built to suit their families' particular needs, including handicap accessible features for Ju-Juanna's nine year-old son, James, who has cerebral palsy.

"This whole thing has been such a blessing to me," says Linda. "Not only am I happy for Ju-Juanna and her family, but we in the Ministry are also getting a reminder of just how important our work is." The Ministry of Caring has also benefited from the impact of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's presence in Wilmington. Hope House II & III received more than $60,000 worth of gifts from CVS/Pharmacy, and the overflow food provided for volunteer work crews by local restaurants was donated to Emmanuel Dining Room. Just as Ju-Juanna's story provides evidence of the long-lasting impact of the Ministry's programs, such generosity reinforces the importance of the Ministry of Caring's efforts to serve the poor and homeless in our community.

Hope House I, the Ministry of Caring's first shelter, is now more than 30 years old and is need of improvements that will make the residence safer and also allow accessibility for women with disabilities. The total cost of the Hope House Renovation project is more than $2.1 million. If you would like to help women like Ju-Juanna rebuild their lives, help by making a safe, secure donation.

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