Two Milestones in One Week: A New Home and a 30th Birthday

Manuela Y. celebrated two major milestones within six days: the dedication of her new Habitat home on Dec. 18, 2025, and her 30th birthday on Christmas Eve.

Originally from Cameroon in Central Africa, Manuela came to the United States in March 2021 and soon welcomed her son, Angel K., now 4. For the past three years, she has worked as a certified medical assistant at a healthcare facility in Bethany.

In her Habitat New Home Construction program application, Manuela wrote that she had faced “challenges” but remained focused on becoming a homeowner.

“One of the main targets has always been to build my happiness in a family environment — there’s no family without a home,” Manuela said. “I heard about Habitat, and I soon realized that this was an opportunity for me to build my dream through this program and own a home at an affordable cost.”

After receiving the keys to her new home, Manuela thanked those who helped make the milestone possible.

“I want to thank everybody here today,” she said. “Especially Habitat, for giving me this opportunity in America to become a homeowner.”