At Habitat for Humanity of Horry County, we love to celebrate the achievements of our partner families, our volunteers, and our staff. This week, we are excited to place Danielle Lewis, our Homeowner Services Specialist, in the spotlight and to congratulate her on becoming a Certified Financial Social Worker!
About Danielle
Danielle was hired by Habitat for Humanity of Horry County as a Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator in October of 2020. She now serves as our Homeowner Services Specialist, working closely with each Habitat partner family in our Homebuyer Program and our Critical Home Repair Program.
What many people don’t know about Danielle is that she herself was a participant in the Habitat Homebuyer Program in her youth as her mom walked the journey to homeownership! That experience gave Danielle a deeper understanding than most of just how important the work that we do is for the lives of families in our community.
To Danielle, to live in a Habitat home meant that she and her family had a stable place of their own; a place where they could lay their heads down at night knowing they were safe. In an interview with Danielle, she shared that the happiness her mom felt as she became a homeowner was the most important part of the entire experience for her.
Regarding her role as a staff member of Habitat Horry County, she said, “Watching people who really have that need for a home then purchase a home of their own is so much more rewarding to me because I truly understand from experience. They are moving from survival to stability.”
When asked what she enjoys most about her job, her passion shined through in her response. “Outside of the people I work with, I enjoy meeting new homebuyers and walking alongside them, seeing them grow to be a homeowner. It is an extremely rewarding feeling to be able to provide an opportunity for families who wouldn’t have any other opportunities or means to get an affordable home,” she said.
Obtaining Her CFSW
After working alongside many Habitat families over the years, and after attending the Habitat Affiliate Conference in March of 2024, Danielle decided she wanted to pursue a Certification in Financial Social Work. Financial education is a vital piece of the work that she does with Habitat families, helping prepare them for homeownership, and providing them with the skills they will need to be successful in that journey.
She spoke on how her new certification would positively impact her work with Habitat, saying, “I’m always trying to improve and find ways that I can meet people wherever they are in their current stage of life. Taking this class has helped me with my own finances and changing my habits so that I can continue planning for my future. I am a firm believer that having the experience makes the best teachers. I am a living testimony. I can say, ‘I did it, so you can too. We can do it together.’”
Serving Others
Outside of Habitat for Humanity, Danielle has devoted countless hours to her community and those within it. Her selflessness and dedication to simply “helping others in any capacity she can” has been her motivation each day. She is highly active in her church, she is a life coach and currently acting as a mentor, she is serving her second term on the Planning Commission for the City of Myrtle Beach, and she has even founded her own mental health organization.
When asked to talk more about the organization she founded, she said, “It [Reach Empowerment] is an organization for bringing awareness to mental health and providing resources to those who need them.”
With courage and grace, Danielle shared some of her own struggles with mental health, which are what led her to that field of work. She noted that those struggles are often ignored and avoided in discussion because of their taboo nature, especially in communities of people of color. She continued, “I got into the work so that I could help and educate others. I want to bring awareness to the subject, to show that people are not just ‘crazy’ and that most of them just need resources and support. I want to be that supportive outlet.”
Leaving a Legacy
Before concluding the interview, Danielle was asked what kind of message or legacy she hopes to leave for her daughter, demonstrated through her work and commitment to others. After a few moments of thought, she answered, “Be a steward of God. Help in any way that you can. When you serve, serve well. Be a light to others.”
It is that last answer that truly embodies the person that Danielle is. She is a light to all those around her, and she serves her community well. We are grateful to have her on our team here at Habitat Horry County and are looking forward to many more years working alongside her.
