When Laura Kendrick began volunteering at Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity in 1999, she never dreamed that one day she would be buying one.

That year, when there were only a few paid staff members at B/CS Habitat, Laura was one of the volunteers who created the Family Support Committee. They created the first homebuyer education program, mentored the homebuyers and tracked the homebuyers’ volunteer hours!

In 1999, Laura also bought a home in Bryan for her and her two sons, Spencer and Connor. Fifteen years later, she paid off her mortgage and now owns the home.

That was 25 years ago. Today Laura’s sons are grown and living on their own. Laura, who worked for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for 22 years, retired in January 2020.

Unfortunately, her home — now 84 years old and built on a pier-and-beam foundation — hasn’t withstood the test of time. The last straw came in 2022 when she woke up to a flooded kitchen. The original cast-iron sewer line had cracked, and the tab was at least $10,000. She applied for a Habitat home that same year.

Finally, the time for Laura to become B/CS Habitat’s 316th homebuyer is getting closer. She needs this new home to live comfortably and safely. When she bought her current house, it was located on a double lot with “a nice big yard for the kids.” That turned out to be fortuitous because her new Habitat home will be built next to her current home, which will eventually be demolished.

When Laura learned she was accepted into B/CS Habitat’s homebuyer program, she remembers being “grateful that I would be able to grow old in a safe house.” Her gratitude extends to the sponsors and volunteers who will help build her home.

“If I could ever be in a position to sponsor a home, I would,” she said. “It changes people’s lives , and it allows them to leave a financial legacy to their children or their loved ones.”