A Dream Worth Holding Onto
For Madeleine Makembo, a mother of five originally from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, owning a home meant stability, independence, and a safe place her family could truly call their own.
But getting there wasn’t easy.
Madeleine started the homebuying process with another local lender to buy a Champlain Housing Trust shared equity home. She had already completed all the homebuying requirements with her CHT Homeownership Counselor. She was told by the lender that they were unable to help her at that time. Her children were already anticipating moving into a new home, making the possibility of losing that dream even harder.
“I felt discouraged, frustrated, and very stressed to see my dream going away,” Madeleine said. “I did not know what to tell my children.”
Instead of giving up, Madeleine kept going. She has been a long-time King Street Center employee and knew that King Street had partnered with NorthCountry Federal Credit Union in the past. Madeleine and King Street reached out to NorthCountry to see if they had any suggestions. There, she connected with Member Advocate, Tanja, who helped her navigate the process and understand her options when challenges came up.
“The support from NorthCountry made a stressful situation feel much more manageable,” said Madeline.
Today, Madeleine and her five children have a place to call their own, building on a secure future she worked so hard to create.
Looking back, Madeleine is most proud of one thing: not giving up.
“There were moments when I wasn’t sure I would become a homeowner, but I kept moving forward,” she said. “Perseverance, patience, and determination can turn a difficult journey into something truly meaningful.”
Madeleine’s story is a great example of how a person with a dream can partner with community organizations to make their dreams come true.
But getting there wasn’t easy.
Madeleine started the homebuying process with another local lender to buy a Champlain Housing Trust shared equity home. She had already completed all the homebuying requirements with her CHT Homeownership Counselor. She was told by the lender that they were unable to help her at that time. Her children were already anticipating moving into a new home, making the possibility of losing that dream even harder.
“I felt discouraged, frustrated, and very stressed to see my dream going away,” Madeleine said. “I did not know what to tell my children.”
Instead of giving up, Madeleine kept going. She has been a long-time King Street Center employee and knew that King Street had partnered with NorthCountry Federal Credit Union in the past. Madeleine and King Street reached out to NorthCountry to see if they had any suggestions. There, she connected with Member Advocate, Tanja, who helped her navigate the process and understand her options when challenges came up.
“The support from NorthCountry made a stressful situation feel much more manageable,” said Madeline.
Today, Madeleine and her five children have a place to call their own, building on a secure future she worked so hard to create.
Looking back, Madeleine is most proud of one thing: not giving up.
“There were moments when I wasn’t sure I would become a homeowner, but I kept moving forward,” she said. “Perseverance, patience, and determination can turn a difficult journey into something truly meaningful.”
Madeleine’s story is a great example of how a person with a dream can partner with community organizations to make their dreams come true.