Deborah, her youngest son Dylan, and the Kampas celebrate at Deborah’s home dedication.
For the five years before Deborah turned to Habitat for Humanity, she was rebuilding a life turned upside down following a difficult divorce. As a newly single mother to a high school-aged son, she was determined to provide a safe and stable environment. However, she had to do so while going through one of the most emotionally and financially turbulent periods of her life.
During her 23-year-long marriage, Deborah had stepped away from her career to become a stay-at-home mom. Re-entering the workforce in her late 50s came with challenges, and housing quickly became one of her biggest obstacles.
At that time, she lived in a two-bedroom apartment with her ex-husband, where safety was a growing concern. Her housing costs also consumed more than 70% of her income. “Juggling it all was a lot,” Deborah said.
While working full-time, Deborah and her son completed the 300 sweat equity hours required of Habitat homeowners, most of them completed in our warehouse. Because Deborah has melanoma skin cancer, she needed to work in a setting that protected her health.
“The guys at the warehouse were so good with my son,” Deborah said. “He doesn’t have many manly figures in his life, and they were. I’m really grateful to those guys. To everybody.”
During her time with Habitat, she also experienced the loss of her brother, making the relationship Habitat staff formed with her son more meaningful.
For Deborah, a Habitat home meant freedom. “[It meant] that at the end of a five-year journey, there is light at the end,” she said. “That there is kindness and generosity in this world. That humanity exists.”
She found that kindness, generosity, and humanity in everyone she encountered at Habitat, but especially with her home sponsors, Bill and Cheryl Kampa.
As long-time supporters and volunteers, the Kampas decided to deepen their commitment to Habitat by sponsoring a home — a decision that was unfortunately rooted in personal tragedy.
“We were involved with a lawsuit,” Bill explained. “My previous wife died of leukemia that she contracted because of some politicians and several medical companies that put up a chemical plant within half a mile of the school outside of Chicago,” he said. “It’s not unusual for these things to happen, but it’s a brutal situation.”
The lawsuit, which included hundreds of plaintiffs, took 20 years to resolve. When the settlement came, Bill and Cheryl had a conversation that would lead to lasting change for others.
“Cheryl and I talked about it, and we decided ‘Let’s do something positive with something that was a tragedy,'” Bill said, leading them to sponsor a Habitat home.
A heartfelt hug shared between Cheryl and Deborah at her home dedication as Deborah’s son looks on.
The Kampas met Deborah on the day of her home dedication. “It was so moving,” Cheryl said, and Bill agreed. “For me, it was tremendously moving, and I had to fight back tears,” Bill said. “I think that it comes back to faith and helping your fellow people who are journeying on this earth.”
For everyone involved, the connection felt deeper than chance. When the Kampas chose the address of the home they’d sponsored, they later learned Deborah had been selected—and that she shared the same name as Bill’s late wife.
“It was really emotional to hear that,” Deborah said. “They are just amazing.” What the Kampas didn’t know was that Deborah’s late brother was also named Bill.
“It’s these little things you can’t see, “Deborah said. “This is my home. God chose this one for me.”
Two weeks ago, Deborah and her son officially moved into their home. “It’s long overdue,” she said. “For the last two years, I haven’t really had my own space,” she said, since she’d been staying in the living room of her previous apartment.
“It changed my life,” Deborah shared. “I feel that God works in very mysterious ways. We don’t always see his plan, but his plan is always better for us than what we can even imagine.”
When asked what they would say to someone considering sponsoring a Habitat home, the Kampas had just two words: “Do it.”
“If there’s any organization that really puts everything forward to helping people with a Christian spirit, Habitat is it,” Cheryl said.
