West Kelowna

Earlier this week, Star and her family were able to watch as their new home was delivered and are calling it a dream come true.

"We are so excited, we have been waiting and waiting and we are just so excited," says Star.

She has given everything to help her kids and find a home after her marriage ended, but it has been a struggle.

A car accident cut her new career short and her son Keelan has Muscular Dystrophy and needs a wheel chair accessible home.

Habitat for Humanity Kelowna saw the need and stepped up to make the dream come true, giving the young family what Keelan calls 'their forever home.'

"It means everything to us. We have been so blessed by Habitat for Humanity just to come in and help us like this. You don't realize what the community can do and what people mean until something like this happens, and then you are just overwhelmed," says Star.

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe

Kiera, Star and Keelan watch as their new home is moved into place.

The home was delivered to the West Kelowna neighbourhood Tuesday night.

The dream would not have been possible if it were not for the help of Habitat for Humanity and the many people who donated time and money to help make Star shine.

"This is a real exciting day for the family and for Habitat for Humanity. Our Habitat volunteers told us about Star and her family. We decided we had to do something for this family, get them housing they could afford with an affordable mortgage," says Lona Manning, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity.

"It's wheelchair accessible for her son and it's just so exciting to see the dream become a reality today,"

This home is a little different for Habitat, as it was not constructed on site but instead was delivered on wheels.

"A traditional Habitat house is built by volunteers and there is a wonderful fellowship there. But in this case we were able, thanks to the partnership with Accent Homes, build a customized one storey home for Star in a short period of time thanks to the generous donations of the community," says Manning.  

The family is blown away by people's charity, strangers who have become friends by helping them have a home sweet home.

Star's daughter Kiara is 15 years-old and says she's blown away by the generosity of the community.

"It means everything to me and my family and everything and it just means like, words can't describe it like . . . I don't know it is just so amazing to get a house that you don't have to move (again)."  

Now Keelan, Kiara and Star don't have to worry about where they are going to live.

"It's to the point," says Star, pausing to wipe away a tear.

"I'm sorry, it's to the point where you just don't know what to say. You just want to give everyone a big hug and say thank you so much."