A new year is a moment to pause, not just to look ahead, but to reflect on what made 2025 extraordinary.
​
Last year, you were the story: families starting their journey toward homeownership, volunteers showing up build after build, and sponsors stepping up to make dreams possible. Our resolutions for 2026 aren’t about changing who we are, they’re about leaning into what works and building on the momentum you helped create.

2025 was full of milestones: 8 families turned the keys to their new homes, stepping into stability and hope. Also, we started and completed the first Habitat Acres building, creating affordable homes, and futures, for our community.

This year, we pause to celebrate you, the families, volunteers, sponsors and community partners, because your dedication fuels every milestone.

If you’ve ever been on a build site, you know progress is dusty, loud, and sometimes uncomfortable. And that’s exactly where the magic happens. In 2025, 918 volunteers contributed 7,074 hours, leaning in to raise walls, paint rooms, and bring homes to life.

In 2026, we’re building on this spirit: more teamwork, more energy, and more days where muddy shoes and tired smiles create futures.

Our community shows up in countless ways: sponsoring homes, spreading the word, and volunteering. In 2025, we welcomed 1 new sponsor who built their first Habitat home and celebrated 13 returning sponsors / co-sponsors who continued their commitment to affordable housing in our community. Together, we grow a circle where every hand and heart strengthens our impact.

Affordable homeownership doesn’t just change one household, it strengthens neighborhoods, schools, and futures. In 2025, 18 families joined the Habitat movement, starting their journey toward affordable homeownership.

​In 2026, we’ll continue expanding opportunities and supporting families across Miami. 

Some moments don’t make headlines but change everything: a volunteer returning for their fifth build, a team seeing a home rise faster than imagined, or families holding the keys to their new home.

​In 2025, 38 corporative partners and 5 faith partners joined us for team builds, turning these moments into reality and showing how collaboration, dedication, and shared purpose transform lives.

 These experiences keep us grounded and inspired to return to the site year after year.

Big impact starts with small actions. This bingo is your invitation to take part in your community, support neighbors, and help families build brighter futures with Miami Habitat. Check off the squares, celebrate each win, and see how much we can accomplish together in 2026!

For years, Northern Trust has stood alongside Miami Habitat. This year, they stepped forward in a powerful new way by sponsoring their very first Habitat home in Greater Miami, turning commitment into action and belief into impact.

Over the past two months, Northern Trust didn’t just sponsor a home. Side by side with George and Zuleida, their teams raised walls, hung drywall, painted inside and out, installed baseboards, and completed the landscaping. With every visit, the house became more than a structure. It became a home.

“At Northern Trust we have a strong tradition. It's in our culture. It's in our DNA to give back to the communities where we serve and where we operate.” said Alex Adams, President of the South Florida and Mid-Atlantic Markets. That commitment brought together employees from Miami, Broward, Delray, Boca, and beyond.

“We brought people from Palm Beach, Delray, Boca, Parkland, and all over Broward County to build this wonderful house for this amazing family. When you put a large amount of people into one space, you can do great things.” Eric Vander, who runs the Broward County office out of Fort Lauderdale, added.

Behind the scenes, Maureen Lyons, Senior Vice President of Wealth Management, helped turn vision into reality as they worked over 18 months, Northern Trust combined Florida tax credits, corporate commitment, and 90 volunteers to fully sponsor the home. “It took about a year and a half to get all the funding together. But to see it become a reality today, I pulled up to the house. I was almost in tears.”

Zuleida, overwhelmed with gratitude, shared, “Thanks everybody from the bottom of my heart for sacrificing your time. Nothing would have been finished without the volunteers. They do it from the heart.”

This powerful partnership is a reminder of what is possible when we come together to build for Miami. 

Carlos and Vivian grew up in the same small town in Guatemala. Today, they live in Miami with their 12-year-old daughter, Alysson. Carlos works in a window factory, and Vivian at an elementary school.

For years, owning a home felt impossible. “Owning a home… we didn’t even think about it, because the amount a bank approves is impossible for current market prices. And the only opportunity is this [Habitat],” Carlos says. He applied six or seven times before finally getting the call. “Something was always missing… but we never lost faith.”
​

When the call came, their excitement was clear. “Now, our dream has come true. I must never lose faith,” Carlos says. Vivian adds, “This was our dream, to build a home. A family. A house of our own.”

During the build, they were involved in every step. Vivian says, “I liked the construction… I liked doing and undoing and doing again… I learned things, for example, how to use that tool.” Carlos recalls completing many hours on the house, always showing up and working alongside his family.
​
Their new home is a place to grow together: a backyard to plant, walks around the neighborhood, Alysson’s first dog, and weekends on the porch. Carlos reflects, “We are going to have a home for my family… a place where we can always be together. If I’m gone someday, they will at least have the protection of a home.””
​