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Leading by Example: Kendra Clarizio-Bilodeau

“I knew I wanted to stand and help others who were feeling what I felt, to tell them it’s OK,” said Kendra Clarizio-Bilodeau, sitting near the front window of a place she wasn’t sure she would ever have — a home of her own. “I want others to look at me and know that if she can do it, I can.”

Clarizio-Bilodeau was the grateful 40th partner of the Door County Habitat for Humanity. The single mother and her children — El, 14, and Matthew, 16 — moved into their home on 6th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay in 2017, and she vowed to help the next partner family build its home. Three years later, she’s not just helping — she has joined the organization’s board of directors. 

“I still remember the day she walked into my office all nervous,” said David Van Dyke shortly before he retired from his position as executive director of Habitat at the end of 2019. “I remember thinking, ‘You’re exactly the person I’m looking for.’ She has just exemplified exactly how the program should work to build this larger Habitat family.”

Before Habitat chose her as a partner, Clarizio-Bilodeau was at a crossroads. Her landlord had unexpectedly raised the rent on her two-bedroom apartment by $75 per month. It was money she didn’t have and a jump she didn’t see coming. She blamed herself for putting her family in a situation in which the rug could be pulled out from underneath them.

“I was really down on myself for it,” she said. “I felt guilty. I thought it was my fault.”

She struggled to ask for help until her godmother convinced her to apply to Habitat for Humanity. That application changed more than a living situation. 

The Bilodeau Family – Elizabeth, Kendra and Matthew (far right) – are all smiles as they stand with David Van Dyke, executive director of Door County Habitat for Humanity during a groundbreaking ceremony for the 40th Habitat home in the county. Photo by Jim Lundstrom.

“I wanted a place to call home. I wanted to break a lot of the cycles of my upbringing,” she said, struggling to hold her emotions in check as she talked about the home and what it meant to her and her two children. She was on site for every build day for her home, and she pulled her children out of school for every major moment, making sure they appreciated the steps and the work of the volunteers who were putting in the time to build them a home. 

When the build was over, Clarizio-Bilodeau vowed to give back. She joined the selection committee, began volunteering at fundraisers and became a vocal ambassador for the organization. She’s now the board’s secretary.

“She really adds a voice we don’t have on the board,” Van Dyke said. “The voice of the people we’re serving.”

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