A person who helps bring about a world in which every child grows up in a stable, safe and secure home is a person possessing exceptional character and humanity. One such outstanding individual was Elizabeth Crawford, whose estate very generously donated to Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga.
In making such a financial contribution, she has forever impacted the community she called her home. Elizabeth understood the difference that a decent place to live could make to a young life. By removing barriers to opportunity, families are afforded a much greater chance of success and good health, setting the pathway for both the present and future generations.
In 1924, Elizabeth started life in a small town named Vegreville in central Alberta.
Her early years were spent sharing a two-room house with her parents and 12 siblings. She knew all too well that better, affordable living conditions would lead to improved health, stronger childhood development and the ability to make smart, forward-looking life choices.
In her late teenage years, this now strong and independent young woman moved to Edmonton to begin her working career. A position in a bank provided her with a solid background in finance, which lead her to both her future husband and the financial security that fueled her philanthropic pursuits.
At age 29, Elizabeth married, started a family and enjoyed the benefit of her husband’s many job placements, allowing them to become ‘citizens of the world.’ Their last home abroad was in Monte Carlo, Monaco. However, throughout their years of international travel, they never forgot where they came from and always maintained a home base in Toronto, where they eventually retired in the late 1980s.
Elizabeth’s daughter Brenley remembers, “Wherever my Mom lived, she immersed herself in local community activities and charities.” After being widowed in 2004, and in memory of her late husband, Elizabeth became even more involved in her philanthropic giving. The list of charities she supported grew to include Habitat for Humanity, the organization where both her daughters, Brenley & Hillary, volunteered their time and expertise.
Elizabeth Crawford was a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a woman with a big heart, who left behind a legacy that will forever change the life of a Habitat family…that’s the power of a home.