Ann Testerman presenting Derrick the keys to his new home while Bill and their daughter Shelly Randall look on.
Derrick in his new home, with family members and Bill and Ann Testerman.
On the evening of March 5, 1955, eleven-year-old Bill Testerman watched his home disappear.
He had been polishing his shoes and watching television when his father rushed in, shouting for everyone to run to the basement. Moments later, the storm passed, and the family emerged to find their house had been reduced to almost nothing.
With his home suddenly gone, the future felt uncertain. But what followed stayed with Bill for the rest of his life.
At the printing plant where his father worked, 250 employees each gave one full day’s wages to help their family rebuild. Neighbors and extended family stepped in as well, and the Testermans were able to move into a rebuilt home just months later.
Bill was only eleven, but the lesson stayed with him: when people come together in a spirit of generosity, lives are changed for the better.
Bill’s new perspective shaped everything that followed.
He went on to serve in the military, join the Peace Corps with his wife, Ann, and build a long career as a veterinarian. He continues to volunteer in Port Townsend, providing care for animals belonging to people experiencing homelessness.
For Bill, service is simply how he lives.
That same perspective led Bill and Ann to Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County and house sponsorship.
They began supporting Habitat in 2021 and, in 2025, deepened that commitment by becoming house sponsors, helping make it possible for another family to build a stable foundation.
Bill knows from experience how a single act of generosity can shape the course of a life. More than sixty years after receiving that support himself, he and Ann are now creating that same opportunity others.
That’s how generosity works. It carries forward. Bill and Ann Testerman are living proof.
We’re grateful to be part of that story.
House Sponsorship Opportunities
If you’d like to be part of the story and help a family establish a stable foundation, visit our website at House Sponsorships to learn more.