Meet the Stull Family
My Family
My name is Tamiko Kim Stull and I am a future homeowner thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter. Who knew that a chance encounter 6 months ago at my job would lead me to where I am today, about to close on a home of my own!
My journey has definitely been rewarding. I am 52 years old and a grandmother of 5 (soon to be 6) and I am raising my grandson, Ayden Kyle, who is 10 years old. I am originally from Sacramento, CA and my parents named me Tamiko Kim (pronounced Tommy-Ko) because my mother was a full blooded Okinawan. They were wonderful parents who brought me to Florida when I was 5 and I’ve never left. I grew up in the same house until I married so I had a wonderful childhood filled with happy memories of home and family.
My family is my greatest achievement. I have 3 children, Amanda, Glynnie and Jayson. My grandbabies are Ayden Kyle, Alexis Sophia (7), Corey Ray (5), Carter Preston (2) and Conner Matthew who was born this past February. I am also expecting another grandchild this year, precisely on the fourth of July. He or she will be our Yankee Doodle Baby and that is yet another blessing this year will bring.
My Journey
Ayden and I are currently living in a 28 x 14 camper, we look on the bright side and call our small home “cozy and quaint” but trading in a camper for a brand new home is definitely a good thing! It gives me an overwhelming sense of joy because it hasn’t been easy living in such a confined space with my grandson. The tiny camper Ayden and I share is on a property owned by a friend, but it’s located in Webster and our commute is 30 minutes to and from school and work.
Our only mode of transportation is an old truck and that much driving everyday can cause a lot of wear and tear on an old vehicle, not to mention the possibility of being stranded alone with Ayden if it were to break down. So it’s an added blessing that our new house is right in town. Living in the camper can make daily tasks feel challenging. Small bathtub, limited hot water and no laundry; lugging our laundry to and from the laundromat is a lot of work. You can ask Ayden, he dislikes doing laundry and dreams of long hot showers. And I agree, I am most grateful for the laundry room that’s part of our new home. Finally, I’ll have a washer & dryer so that visits to the laundromat will be a thing of the past!
Almost Home
I met Wayne, the Construction Director at Habitat Lake-Sumter when he came into the Lake Panasoffkee Water Association, where I am the office manager. I helped Wayne set up water accounts for a couple new Habitat houses. Not long after, I heard that they were accepting applications for new homes and decided to look into it. I thought I might meet the requirements so I took a chance and applied. Before I knew it, I was advised that if I wanted to move forward, the house was ours. I was shocked!
I’m so thankful for how helpful everyone has been, especially Travis, he is the Site Supervisor who helped build my home. I worked alongside Travis to put some sweat equity into my house and he helped me paint our soon-to-be home. Although I had a wonderful time doing it, I will admit that climbing up and down the ladder put my legs out of commission for about 3 days, but it was still a great experience! The whole process has been amazing because Habitat is all about helping families succeed on their journey to being a homeowner.
Thanks to Habitat Lake-Sumter, we are saying goodbye to the camper and hello to a real home! A comfortable home where I can raise Ayden; I’m thankful that he’ll be growing up with his own room, in our own home.
Honestly, what I am really looking forward to is moving in and creating lasting memories of home and family for Ayden, the way my mother did for me. We might even have a fourth of July celebration for our two blessings, our Habitat home and our Yankee Doodle baby but it may have to be a short celebration because I’m sure Ayden Kyle will probably want to take a long hot shower…
Written by Tamiko Stull – Future Habitat Homeowner
Edited by Lorie Lozada – Writer & Habitat Homeowner