Meet Ms. Henderson. She learned of iACT’s Hand on Housing Program  through her brother, who recommended she call us for home repair assistance. As a person living alone with disabilities, Ms. Henderson found herself in need of an accessible shower, ramps at her entryways, and carpet removal.  Thanks to our partnership with the City of Austin’s Housing Department, we were able to meet her needs. But, help has not always been this easy to come by for Ms. Henderson. 

When Ms. Henderwon’s only child became a victim of gun violence at age seventeen, she became his full-time caretaker.  It has not been an easy road for her or her son, as the gunshot resulted in his paralyzation. To make matters worse, his assailant was never held accountable for his actions. The case was dropped. Black on black crime, she explains, has never been taken seriously. With solemness, Ms. Henderson shares this story, and her journey to making peace with what happened.

Ms. Henderson is a  very strong woman that has endured so much hardship in her lifetime. She takes pride in herself for making it through her devastating circumstances and rising above it all. She came to live in her current home when she could no longer stand the struggles of Section 8 Housing. Her maintenance requests were being ignored by management. She would move to a new place every year, to avoid renewing a lease with broken appliances and fixtures and systems. Never feeling truly settled, she became exhausted and fed-up. It was time for a change.  Her son, an adult by that time, was able to co-sign with her on a home loan. She escaped that life, finally, and never looked back. Ms. Henderson has been living in  her current home now for thirteen years and has found peace, at long last. 

After a long career, working as a unit clerk in the healthcare field, computers replaced her profession, and Ms. Henderson was laid-off.  In her new-found free time, she likes to color in her tablet, bake with her nieces, watch cooking shows, and shop online clearance sales. She is the self-proclaimed clearance QUEEN, and smiling ear to ear about it. Her favorite and most cherished memory is when she signed her homeownership paperwork. 

When asked who the most important person in her life is, Ms. Henderson doesn’t have to think twice. Her mother. Her mother is the most important person in her life because she worked long and hard to provide what she could for her family. Another person worthy of Ms. Henderson’s unwavering respect and adoration is her best friend. She never had a true friend or friendship until this one. The two of them met working at Motorola and have since become inseparable. They help each other, without hesitation, and give each other daily comfort and joy. 

Her advice for her younger self is to learn about finance, investment, and wealth management; the subjects no one taught her about in school or at home, growing up. Ms. Henderson’s words of wisdom for the next generation is to “never count on anyone but yourself for your happiness and financial security.”

Although content, Ms. Henderson’s dream home would have a bigger, walk-in closet and multiple linen closets through-out. Her hand bags and wardrobe require a lot of closet space, and the builder for her current home clearly did not take that into consideration!  She looks forward, every day, to being alive and waking up to a brand new day.

Interview and article by Marian Hernandez, high school senior, class of ‘24; Summer Intern for Hands on Housing, with the City of Austin’s Emerging Leaders Program