Haitian homeowner expresses thanks for new home funded by a song of gratitude

Haitian homeowner expresses thanks for new home funded by a song of gratitude by granddaughter of our founders

In the fall of 2021, Sophie Davina — granddaughter of Fuller Center for Housing founders Linda and Millard Fuller — contacted The Fuller Center with an idea. She was releasing a new song just before Thanksgiving — a song of gratitude, naturally, called “Look Back on Every Blessing” — and she wanted it to be a true blessing.

The granddaughter of the late Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity and then The Fuller Center for Housing with wife Linda, grew up knowing what a blessing a home can be. Not only did she understand the strong foundation that a simple, decent home provides for a family, but she had worked up some of these homes. In fact, her 16th birthday present to herself was to help build a Fuller Center home in Americus, Ga.

She also knew that there remain many places outside the United States where a simple, decent home is beyond a blessing — especially for those living in shacks. And she knew that some of the most dire living situations in the world are in Haiti. Fortunately, The Fuller Center for Housing has a thriving operation in Pignon, Haiti, and she chose to give hope to a family there through her music. In Pignon, local leaders selected Rosana Joseph and her family to partner for a new home to replace their shack of mud and sticks that provided little shelter from the elements.

A longtime generous supporter of The Fuller Center, Jackie Goodman, stepped forward to pledge $1 for each stream of her new song for the first two weeks of its release. That quickly resulted in more than $2,300 toward the $6,000 cost of the home. An anonymous donor pitched in another $1,000, and other supporters inspired by the song chipped in gifts to fully fund the home by December.

The Fuller Center’s building partners in Pignon caught up with Rosana this week to see how she is enjoying life in her new home.

“I cannot thank Sophie and everyone enough,” she told us through an interpreter. “I am grateful beyond words. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”