On any given day you can find Shawn and Ashley Moorefield working their traditional jobs. Shawn, carrying out his lawn care duties; Ashley, working as a social worker. But the husband-and-wife team together operates a non-profit organization and are parents of a 9 and 6-year-old.
“We are busy,” said Ashley. “But we believe we have a purpose to fulfill.”
Former Enright Court residents, the couple recently turned the home they lived in for 10 years into a transitional home for 18 to 23-year-old females with the hope to rehabilitate a home owned by her mother on Race Street in Homewood. The house, according to the Moorefields, needed at least $60,000 worth of work and took all their savings to make it habitable. As a result, they needed help to complete repairs.
Habitat for Humanity
Familiar with the services provided by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh, the Moorefields contacted the organization, just as they were in the midst of planning a partnership with Cornerstone Ministries to repair homes in the Homewood and Larimer communities.
“This was a perfect house for our collaboration,” said Dr. Howard B. Slaughter Jr., president and CEO. “Habitat Pittsburgh is a faith-based organization whose mission includes working with the ecumenical community in establishing homeownership and home repairs for families throughout Allegheny County. The Moorefields are a great example of how situations happen to hard-working people trying to make a difference in their community.”
True believers in the Habitat for Humanity concept, the Moorefields instill the philosophy of helping others into their children, the women they work with through their Serenity Living Transitional Home, their youth mentoring program and the 70 football players and dancers they are involved with. Their 9-year-old son, himself an entrepreneur, makes care packages for the homeless, Ashley said.
Women living in their transitional home can stay up to two years. Aiming to eliminate their barriers and to instill hope, she explained that they provide life skills, job readiness and money management training as well as assist them in building partnerships.
Read the full article at newpittsburghcourieronline.com 9/22/2017
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