“I want to provide my children with a home to pass down to them one day.”
Audrey McLendon is a proud mother of three and an elementary school teacher with Pinellas County Schools. Teaching has been her passion for 20 years. Audrey briefly stepped away from the classroom to homeschool her oldest daughter during a series of surgeries, ensuring she had the care and support she needed. Once her daughter recovered and returned to school, Audrey returned to teaching with renewed purpose.
Audrey’s family is full of ambition and creativity. Gavin, her oldest, is dually enrolled in the Electrical Program at PTEC and dreams of becoming a licensed electrician. Quinn, 15, is in her high school’s medical program and will begin nursing courses next year. She hopes to become a doctor. Adrianna, the youngest, is bright and caring. Audrey has been a single parent since her oldest was three years old. Their condo was already small, but when Adrianna—formerly Audrey’s niece—came to live with them, space became even tighter. Because of the children’s ages and genders, sharing rooms isn’t an option, so Audrey has gone without a bedroom of her own for two years. More recently, the family learned they need to move because the property owner plans to sell.
When Audrey learned she was accepted into the Habitat program, she was overwhelmed with gratitude. “It was such an amazing surprise,” she recalls. “I don’t think I’ll fully believe it until we sleep in our new home for the first time.” For Audrey, a Habitat home means stability, security, and something to pass down to her children. “I want to provide my children with a home to pass down to them one day,” she says. She dreams of hearing the rain on her own roof, watching her dogs run leash-free in the yard, and seeing Adrianna play on her swing set. Most of all, Audrey looks forward to creating a space where her family can relax, bake together in an open kitchen, and enjoy the comfort of a home that truly belongs to them.
This home is sponsored by
