MEHARRY HABITAT FOR
HUMANITY HOUSE 2007

Katherine Smith Family

Katherine Smith had heard about Habitat for Humanity from a friend and current Habitat homeowner before, but she didn’t believe that she could do it.  When she learned about the program Meharry Medical College initiated for one of their employees, she decided to just “go for it” and do everything she needed to do to try to qualify for the Habitat Homeownership Program.  She took a leap of faith, an act of faith that so many other Habitat homeowners have made in the past. Now, she is so excited and grateful for what is happening in her life that she sometimes has to pinch herself to feel that it is real.

Katherine grew up in a happy home with her mother, aunt, and sister in the Wedgewood area of Nashville. Her family was very involved in church and she sang in the choir. She graduated from Glencliff High School and attended Tennessee Technical College where she earned a certificate in Clerical studies. For the past six years Katherine has worked at Meharry Medical College in Housekeeping.

Katherine has three children, a daughter, April, 15 and a sophomore; and two sons, Marcus, 14 and an eighth grader, and Jamario, 6 and a first grader. April and Marcus are both on the track teams at school.  Marcus plays football and just recently joined the fitness club working out and lifting weights four days a week.

Becoming a homeowner is a dream come true for her family.  They have lived in a crowded three-bedroom apartment for a long time and their neighborhood is not safe.  Katherine doesn’t want her children seeing the drug-dealing going on close to their apartment. She looks forward to living in a safer neighborhood.  The whole family is looking forward to painting their rooms, something that they have never been allowed to do in rental units. 

Katherine wants Meharry Medical College to know how much she appreciates this wonderful opportunity and she finds it hard to express in words how blessed she feels.  “Thank you is just not enough to tell them how much this means to me and my children.  This is truly a wonderful experience and I can’t believe that someone would do this for me,” says a very humble Katherine Smith.

View the photo slide show from the Meharry Habitat for Humanity House project

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Meharry Medical College is the nation’s largest private, independent historically black institution dedicated solely to educating minority and other health professionals. The College is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services; and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation’s health professions workforce. Black Issues in Higher Education’s ranking of institutions annually lists Meharry as a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees, and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences.