Starry-eyed Khalid will be too young to remember the day he saw his new bedroom decorated with PAW Patrol stuffed animals and finger-sized action figures.
He’ll be too young to remember pointing in awe at the decaled Fox 10 news truck parked in front of his new house, and smiling for the cameras that kept taking his picture.
But his mom will remember. Mothers always do.
“I’d want him to know there are good people in the world who do good things,” said Munira, a Somalian-born single mother who has resided in the U.S. since age 10.
Welcome Home
Until now, Munira and Khalid – who turns 2 on Mother’s Day – were living in a cramped space with Murina’s four siblings and mom, hoping to eventually secure a safe home to call their own. Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona helped that dream come true with a 0% interest loan on a new home built with the family’s help in south Phoenix.
Then NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, wife Brenda Warner and their charity First Things First made it a Mother’s Day week that Munira will never forget be presenting her and Khalid with a fully furnished house during a surprise unveiling on May 6.
“Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you need a little bit of help to get to where you want to go,” said Warner, who led the Arizona Cardinals to Super XLIII and continues to make the Valley his home. “Somewhere along the way we got connected with Habitat and the Homes for the Holidays program, and we realized we have a chance to be the ‘hand up.’”
U-Haul Commitment to Community
U-Haul International is among the longstanding sponsors of Warner’s Homes for the Holidays program, providing many of the furnishings and decorating services that go into the new homes for the hardworking single moms and their children that Habitat and First Things First assist.
“We couldn’t do it with some special people who have joined us along the way,” Warner noted. “U-Haul has been following us around the country and has been connected with us for 13 years as we’ve done this program in the different places that we’ve lived.”
Munira’s home has three bedrooms and two baths; a spacious kitchen with an island; a living room/dining room combo area with a TV, couches, tables and dinnerware; an office with a desk and computer; a washer and dryer; a fenced backyard; and also a batch of welcoming cupcakes.
Munira works for the state as a family reunification specialist.
Making a Real Difference
Despite the hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Habitat of Central Arizona and its many volunteers completed 25 new home projects and helped repair or refurbish 250 additional homes in the last year.
In addition to its work with Kurt Warner, U-Haul also partners with Habitat to provide volunteer opportunities for its Team Members.
As part of its community outreach, U-Haul partners with caring organizations to help people meet their most basic human needs: food, clothing and shelter. This has long been a focus of U-Haul since it considers affordable residential mobility a basic need, and strives to meet that need for families at more than 22,000 truck- and trailer-sharing locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
U-Haul, founded by a WWII-era Navy veteran and his wife, also commits a substantial amount of its community resources to assisting veteran organizations and causes, as well as honoring our nation’s heroes. U-Haul is a “Best for Vets” Top Veteran-Friendly Employer, according to The Military Times.
