When the first day of the 2009 National Football League draft passed without a call to their home, Rosie Eloi did what she always did in trying times. Raising her voice in prayer, she asked God to grant her son Keith his greatest wish, to play professional football. Rosie prayed, “God, please, this is his dream. Let him reach his goal.” 

 

All her life, Rosie has instilled in her children that their dreams can come true if they work hard. Her own proof of this came in 1996 when she came to Habitat for Humanity of Collier County to apply for housing. She and her three children were living in a rundown duplex which was old and in disrepair. The space was dank, dark and overcrowded. After working their 500 hours of sweat equity and making their down payment, the family became proud homeowners in Naples Manor.

 

Keith was 12 years old when they moved into their house on Holland Street. With a safe, stable home, he could focus on his goals to play football at the college level and eventually in the NFL. A gifted athlete, Keith participated in track and field and basketball but football was always his first love. If you ask any of his coaches, they will tell you one thing about Keith: he has a tremendous work ethic and strong determination.   No doubt these traits come from Rosie who has worked for 21 years at Red Lobster. 

 

After graduating from Lely High School, Keith attended William Rainey Harper Junior College in Illinois. There he received numerous accolades in both football and track and field all while maintaining a solid grade point average. Always keeping his eye on the prize, he focused on academics in order to transfer to the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he had a better chance of getting noticed by the NFL. It was the stroke of luck he needed when ESPN picked up a YouTube video showing him leaping flat-footed from the ground over a closed tailgate and into the bed of a pickup truck. Combined with his efforts at University of Nebraska at Omaha, it helped him get a tryout with the Washington Redskins.

 

Then Rosie’s prayers were indeed answered when a call came from the Redskins. The wide receiver had earned a spot on their roster.   Keith knows that more hard work lies ahead but he feels fortunate just to have made it this far. While working out with the team this summer, he is finishing up his degree online as he is determined to be the first in his family to graduate from college. 

 

In the last 31 years, Habitat for Humanity of Collier County has helped more than 1,150 families by providing the most basic of human needs - shelter.  Still, there is a desperate need for homes for low-wage earning families. Qualifying applicants are legal residents of the United States, living and working in Collier County for more than a year and have demonstrated a need for safe, affordable shelter, an ability to repay the interest-free mortgage and a willingness to partner with Habitat through the contribution of 500 hours of sweat equity. The impact of homeownership on the lives of children cannot be underestimated. Partnership with Habitat for Humanity allows families to break the cycle of poverty, benefiting everyone in the community.

 

Habitat for Humanity of Collier County is one of the oldest and largest producing Habitat affiliates in the nation. The local organization has built more than 125 homes a year for the past seven years, making it Collier County’s leading provider of affordable, owner-occupied homes. Habitat for Humanity of Collier County is located at 11145 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34113. www.HabitatCollier.org

 

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