Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga’s ReStore has been blessed with a lively crew of fun loving and hard working employees.  Most Tuesdays and Wednesdays you will find Tommy Back, currently the affiliate’s only single male Partner Family, among the cheerful crew.   Upon entering the program, Tommy did not waste any time before jumping into completing the three hundred and fifty required sweat equity hours.  He is committed to getting a home for his son, Titus, as soon as possible.  Although Tommy is limited by his disability, you can find him assisting the store in whatever way he can. 

Tommy actually has two sons—Heath, his oldest son is twenty-five years old, and Titus, is the eight-year-old apple of his eye.  Tommy’s journey into fatherhood for the second time is the stuff of which movies are made.  Tommy, in his matter fact manner, casually shares his story.  “A girl I had been with told me she was pregnant and the baby was mine,” Tommy explains. “I was a little old to have another kid, but I said I’d do the right thing.”  Tommy settled into the role of an expectant father and was in the delivery room excitedly awaiting his baby’s arrival.  Excitement quickly turned to shock when Titus made his entrance into this world.  It was evident the baby could not be Tommy’s son because he was bi-racial.  Tommy is sure some questioned his sanity, but he felt a connection to this baby and wanted to help provide for his care.

Given the deceit surrounding the paternity of her child, Tommy was not surprised when Titus’ mother was charged and convicted of a crime which required her to serve a long prison sentence.   Protective services claimed Titus as a ward of the state.  Although Tommy had provided parental support for Titus, he had no legal authority because there was no biological connection.  Tommy decided biology had nothing to do with what he and his family felt for Titus.  “I knew that Titus would be in the foster care system forever,” says Tommy, “so I married his mom.”  Tommy signed all the necessary paperwork to be legally wed to Titus’ mother, adopted Titus and then divorced Titus’ mother, all while she was still incarcerated.  Tommy’s selfless act saved Titus from a life of moving from place to place throughout the foster care system.

Raising Titus is truly an affair of the “Back Family Village.”  Tommy receives help from his mother, sister, son and even ex-wife, Darlene.  “We just love this little guy,” says Darlene on a recent visit to the Habitat office when she brought Titus to participate in the affiliates’ My Habitat Home Drawing Contest.  “He is very smart,” says Tommy.  “I am very proud of Titus and his work in school.  He is a very good speller; he gets perfect scores on most of his tests.”

For Tommy Back, taking care of his son is one of the driving motivations in his life.  By entering the Habitat for Humanity program, Tommy is providing a way in which he and his son can live together in their own home—safe and sound.  “We are both tickled to death,” says Tommy.  “We are excited to one day have our own home, our own rooms and our own yard.”