Habitat Stories: Meet Carina and Hannah!
By Lisa Starcher Collins, Director of Development & Communications
11/15/2024
Our newest homebuyer is moving into a rehabbed house – one owned by a Habitat homeowner who passed, with the house deeded back to us. It’s interesting how things come full circle, because Carina has found her way through her own tragedy, to end up here.
Carina is from Denmark. She met her American husband John in an online game room, where she stabbed him in the back in Counter Strike! Somehow a romance developed, and she moved to America to take a chance with her over-the-road truck driver. They were happily married for ten years, and had a daughter named Hannah. Then, he passed suddenly in 2021 due to COVID, and Carina’s life changed dramatically.
She and John had considered applying to be part of the Habitat process earlier but had never been ready to make the commitment to the sweat equity hours. Because he traveled so much for work, he wanted to spend every hour at home with his little family. Once Carina and Hannah found themselves on their own, she knew it was time.
Carina’s home fell into disrepair that first winter by herself. All the pipes froze and burst, and she was only able to replace half of them. Now, she has running water in her bathroom and laundry, but none in the kitchen. She uses the bathroom sink to wash dishes. Her furnace has gone bad, so they heat with space heaters. She says the electrical system probably can’t take another winter of the load from the heaters. She’s ready to give her daughter a safe, stable place to grow up – and she’s planning for her first Christmas in their new home.
Danish Christmas traditions are a little different, and Carina will be celebrating a day early at her house.
She will be moving in during the month of December, where she will be setting up house and decorating all at once! The Danish Santa (Julamandan - The Christmas Man) comes the night of the 23rd . On the 24th , kids wait eagerly all day, as mom prepares the holiday meal of goose (Carina will make chicken, because it’s more affordable), boiled potatoes with brown gravy, caramelized potatoes, and pickled red cabbage. Hannah’s aunt and cousin will come for dinner, and they’ll also enjoy Risalamande, traditional rice pudding with cherry sauce. Learn more here about Danish holiday traditions! The family will eat the evening meal, perhaps dancing around the tree. Finally, kids will get to see what Santa brought as they open their gifts! Then, they’ll spend Christmas day with Carina’s sister-in-law, celebrating the American way.
We’ve so enjoyed getting to know Carina. She has done some of her sweat equity hours in the office, and she has brought a new perspective to our processes. We are looking forward to tasting some of her Danish treats, and we’re especially grateful to get to be part of her story as she finds new life in her new home.
Merry Christmas, Carina and Hannah! Or, as they say in Denmark, God Jul.