3004 Hodge Drive, Beaufort, SC

A rendering of what the Simmons home will look like

MEET THE SIMMONS FAMILY

“The word ‘home’ to us means stability, completion, and a place to create everlasting memories,” said Tironica Frazier-Simmons. “Home is our sanctuary where we can come after a long day of work and feel peace and comfort.”

Tironica, a home health aide for Synergy Homecare, and her husband Travis Simmons, an overnight stocker for Lowe’s, have been searching for “home” since 2011. With the rapidly increasing prices of rent and houses here in Beaufort they thought homeownership would be impossible until they found Habitat.

Their discovery of the program was a “gift” from her sister who completed the Habitat program and had a home built.

“She knew we were looking for a home to call our own and informed us that they would be choosing families, told us where to go and the rest is history!” Tironica said. “We will be forever thankful for her telling us about the program and all it offers.”

The process has required patience because the program shut down during the COVID Pandemic. “But after everything opened back up and the process started to move along, we became excited again. Overall, the process has been amazing,” she said. “The staff and the volunteers are wonderful individuals and make you feel welcome. We started the process as strangers, but we became a family. We’ve made lasting connections that will carry on for years to come.”

Their new house on Hodge Drive in Beaufort will be home to Tironica and Travis along with their children Taiki (aged 14) and Trevian (11). Their children were the inspiration for pursuing the dream of homeownership.

“We wanted to become homeowners so we can finally have something to call our own, somewhere our kids will feel safe and comfortable. Our youngest son has autism and needs a place where he can have a yard to play and make all the noise he wants,” she said.

Through becoming one of the families chosen for the program, “what we thought was impossible became our reality.”

The home is currently under construction in the Burton area of Beaufort and is estimated to be completed by the end of the year.

This home was funded by the Dataw Island Community.

Taiki, Teronica Frazier-Simmons, Travis, and Trevian