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Handing over the keys: Mother and kids ready to move into the Habitat home women built

"This is one of the first long-term goals that I've actually accomplished in my life so far, so it's great for us, me and my kids and everything."

It was the home women built to help a mother and her kids in need.

On Thursday, a family received the keys to their new home built in part by a female Habitat for Humanity crew earlier this summer.

Meagan Pierce and her three young children will soon move in to the new home and said she's happy to reach such a huge goal in her life.

Credit: Habitat for Humanity

"This is one of the first long-term goals that I've actually accomplished in my life so far, so it's great for us, me and my kids and everything," she said.

WBIR 10News anchor Abby Ham participated in the 2019 Women Build event which began on Mother's Day weekend and was there to help celebrate Thursday and hand the keys over to the happy new family.

The yearly event gathers women from across the community for five Saturdays to unite in a common purpose and raise awareness to the barriers women face in securing affordable homes.

For Pierce, she wanted a safe place for her children to grow up and play. After hearing gunshots outside and having several incidents in the apartment she lives in, she no longer felt safe with her kids playing outside and knew something had to change.

As a result, Habitat for Humanity said she worked hard to get to this point. She works as a medical assistant at a clinic that works directly with patients battling Alzheimer's and dementia. 

Habitat said she and her family all agree they are excited to have a yard of their own where they can run and play as much as they want without worries.

Knoxville Habitat for Humanity will help about 21 families move into new homes this year. If you'd like to learn more, click here.

To qualify for a Habitat home, potential homeowners nee to demonstrate a need for safe, affordable housing. Once selected, homeowners are partnered through 'sweat equity' -- meaning they also help build their own home or the homes of others.

You can learn more on how to apply for a Habitat home here.

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