On April 1st, Loudoun Habitat for Humanity welcomed home our 54th homeowners, with a private home dedication ceremony for the Gull family abiding with social distancing guidance and in all due diligence to keep everyone safe and healthy. We want to thank everyone that volunteered on this project, donates to Loudoun Habitat for Humanity, and supports us in all of our programs. Affordable homeownership provides strength, stability and self-reliance. In these uncertain times filled with anxiety and fear, we know that a safe, stable, affordable home, provides not only hope for the next few months, but for a lifetime for each member of the family.

The Gull family is a three generation family of six. Kashif and Robin have lived in Loudoun County for many years with their two teenage aged children. In September 2019 Kashif’s aging parents moved in with them so that the family can care for them as they are having health challenges.

Robin has had steady work with her employer in Chantilly for nearly 20 years and Kashif has been working in the shopping center near the Loudoun Habitat for Humanity office having lost his business to an unfortuante partnership situation. It was through his job, that he learned about the Loudoun Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program. Kashif and Robin worked hard to prepare themselves to apply for the program. During that time, the family of six lived in a two bedroom apartment where their son’s bed was also in the small living room space. The family, always smiling and declaring that they have faith in God to provide for them, loves to cook and entertain friends and family, but this limited space restricted the ability to experience community in the way they desired. Kashif and Robin have faced many of the challenges of the typical “sandwich generation”, balancing the needs of their teenagers and their elderly parents.

Faithfully throughout this journey, Kasif, Robin, and their daughter worked in the ReStore, completing sweat equity requirements (volunteer hours). Kashif and Robin participated in a 7 week homebuyer education class and received one-on-one financial mentoring to help them with budgeting and other skills to prepare to be successful homeowners. The family, demonstrating their gratitude, provided authentic Pakistani meals for the staff in the Loudoun Habitat office, ReStore, and for volunteers on the construction site on several occations.

In recent weeks as our country has been faced with the COVID-10 pandemic, this safe, stable, and affordable home, will provide space for each of the family members to have space to sleep in appropriate bedrooms, to ensure that Kashif and Robin can practice healthy social distancing to keep Kashif’s parents safe, and one day, for this family to welcome their friends and family into their home, to celebrate with their community, and to have hope for tomorrow.

Welcome home Gull Family.