'A long road': South Daytona mother of five endures loss on path to new home

SOUTH DAYTONA — When Betsaida Fortier and her five children awake this Christmas morning, it likely will be within the walls of a new home, a milestone that eclipses anything else on their yuletide wish-list.

“It’s been a long road,” said Fortier, 40, among the Volusia County residents who has found support from the Homes Bring Hope program dedicated to helping working families with lower incomes achieve the American dream of home ownership.

“It’s pretty high on my kids’ wish list, to have that space,” she said. “They’re already making plans about how to decorate.”

For the six-member family, an entourage that also includes four cats, the new home will be a welcome improvement over the three-bedroom mobile home where they have lived and endured a series of health and financial challenges over the past three years.

“I sleep in my dining room,” said Fortier, who works fulltime as a patient care technician for AdventHealth in Daytona Beach as well as holding down other part-time jobs.

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For Fortier, known as “Betsy” to her friends, the path to the doorway of the family’s new three-bedroom home on Caroline Street in Daytona Beach's Midtown neighborhood has been paved with challenges and loss. At the same time, she and her children — Lyli, 18; Angelina, 16; Sophia, 10; and twin 8-year-old boys Sammuel and Malachi — have endured with faith and perseverance.

“Life is tough,” said Fortier, sitting on a bench at Reed Canal Park in South Daytona, gazing out at fields where her sons play in flag football leagues. “But we have to face each day.”

Family faces first Christmas without their father

One of the family’s darkest days was in February when her husband of 12 years, Shawn, died at age 33.

It was the tragic culmination of two years of serious health problems that began when he was rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center in the fall of 2020 after suffering a seizure. After going into cardiac arrest, the episode left him with a brain injury, unable to see or speak.

As her husband worked to retrain his brain and muscles to function again, the population of the family’s cramped mobile home swelled as her mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law arrived to assist with his recovery.

Now, with her husband gone, Fortier and her children are facing a series of milestone occasions without him for the first time.

“It’s a grieving process,” she said. “We just went through his first birthday without him being physically here. That was on Nov. 29, right around Thanksgiving. We bought him a little cupcake with his picture on it and candles. Now, we’re going through our first Christmas without him.”

With the help of therapy and faith, the family is soldiering on, but it’s difficult, Fortier said.

“It’s hard for my children,” she said. “Their father was so important to them. He was always the playful one. ‘Let’s have a dance party!’ ‘Let’s do karaoke!’ ‘Let’s jump around!’ I’m blinking back tears thinking about it.”

Inflation, storms increase needs of working families

The Fortier family’s perseverance against such formidable setbacks is inspiring, said Forough Hosseini, who founded the nonprofit Food Brings Hope in 2007 to provide food and after-school learning opportunities for lower-income children.

In the years since, it has provided millions of dollars’ worth of goods and services to area students.

In the 2021-2022 school year, more than 800 students were served in Food Brings Hope School Programs that stretch across 32 schools in Volusia and Flagler counties, according to the organization. Through its partnership with Halifax Urban Ministries, Food Brings Hope helps provide over 300 food bags weekly to participating schools.

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Created more recently, Homes Bring Hope helps lower income families achieve home ownership, specifically in the 32114 zip code that encompasses the Daytona’s Midtown neighborhood.

Earlier this month, four new homeowners in the Homes Bring Hope program, including Fortier, were recognized at a ceremony in Daytona Beach attended by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis.

The homes in the 300 block of North Caroline Street were built on lots donated by the City of Daytona Beach and private donors for a program that operates with the help of companies that donate work and products to defray construction costs, Hosseini said.

Hosseini, who also is an executive vice president of information systems for ICI Homes, has long been an advocate for education and programs to break the cycle of poverty.

“The idea is to increase the amount of home ownership,” she said. “We feel people who own their own homes will take care of it better rather than investors who don’t spend money on it and then rent it out. We feel that the more homeowners, the better it is for the Midtown area.”

The need among working families has been amplified due to the pressures of inflation and the impact of Ian and Nicole, two back-to-back tropical storms that slammed Volusia and Flagler counties this fall, Hosseini said.

“Inflation has affected our families, but even worse is the two storms that hit,” she said. “These families have been deeply affected. Many, many homes were flooded. You would not believe how many families have been displaced and how many families are still in a hotel.

“You wouldn’t believe how much we have done in fixing people’s homes, finding a rental and paying first six months (rent) so they can survive and get their lives together,” she said. “I worry about them every night.”

For Betsy Fortier, supply chain issues exasperated by the storms and other complications tied to the family's circumstances over the past year delayed the anticipated closing on their home by some nine months.

At last, with closing expected to be final before Christmas, the goal is to uphold the family’s holiday traditions as they also make a new start, Fortier said.

“We usually have a pajama party the night before, where we pop popcorn, watch movies and each of the kids opens one present at midnight,” she said. “Christmas was always big in our family, and I’m trying to keep the tradition.”

At the same time, she also will offer a silent prayer.

“My prayer is to always remember the good,” she said. “Even when you’re going through a really bad time, there’s always a reason why. You should never lose faith in God.”

About this series: The FBH Community’s mission is to foster community organizations that proactively work to eradicate the causes of generational poverty. FBH Community hosts programs such as Food Brings Hope’s KidsZone, TeenZone, FBHonors and Change the Code, Pierson Family Literacy, Homes Bring Hope and the FBH Prosperity Initiative help hardworking families struggling with hunger, housing insecurity, underemployment, and low levels of literacy. Overhead is covered by the Hosseini Family Foundation, so 100% of donations go directly to the programs and families. Throughout the holidays, The News-Journal is highlighting the organization by publishing the stories of some of its young participants. To donate to the organization, or to brighten the holidays by donating a gift to a child, email info@foodbringshope.org.

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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: South Daytona mother of five endures loss on path to new home