The Charlo family in Dettah is the face of Habitat for Humanity’s national holiday fundraising campaign.
The housing charity uses funding from governments and community groups to build homes with help from the people chosen to occupy them, then caps the mortgage at an affordable level.
Jennifer Charlo and her family moved into a Habitat for Humanity NWT home build in Dettah three years ago.
They were picked for a Habitat national campaign last year and filming took place in March 2023, but the rollout was held back by a year “out of respect for the many people and communities who had been displaced due to wildfires,” Habitat for Humanity NWT said in a press release late last week.
Now, the campaign is back on track. The finished video was shown to relatives and residents at the Dettah Wellness Centre last month, while a Wıìlıìdeh Yatii version has been produced with help from Charlo’s aunt and Yellowknives Dene First Nation Elder, Julia Lynn.
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The campaign is designed to encourage people to donate to Habitat’s initiatives over the holiday season.
“Jennifer had always dreamed of raising her family in Dettah, NWT, the First Nation where she grew up, but a lack of affordable housing put those dreams on hold,” reads a Facebook post from Habitat for Humanity launching the campaign on Friday.
“Housing became an even bigger concern when the solo mom of four was forced to give up her apartment in Yellowknife after being medically evacuated for extended care for her newborn. When Jennifer returned to the NWT, she had no choice but to stay with her sister before eventually moving into an overpriced rental.
“Everything changed for Jennifer when she found out she was approved for a Habitat home, and today, Jennifer and her children are thriving.”
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The charity quotes Charlo as saying: “I could not believe that my family was chosen. I cried tears of joy and I was so happy.”
“It’s incredible to have a Northwest Territories homeowner and Yellowknives Dene First Nation member featured in this national fundraising campaign and to share the beauty of the North and the Wıìlıìdeh language with others,” Habitat for Humanity NWT executive director Alayna Ward said in the charity’s press release.
“We hope that households across Canada will be moved by Jennifer’s story about what she has overcome and how becoming a Habitat homeowner has changed her life for the better, and donate to help Habitat for Humanity build more affordable housing.”
You can sign up to donate via Habitat’s website. If you like, you can choose for your donation to go specifically toward projects in the NWT.
