For Emberlene, home has always meant more than four walls and a roof. It means stability, love, laughter, and faith.

On June 26, 2026, Emberlene and her teenage daughter, Leeahna, officially became Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter homeowners.

For Emberlene, the journey to this moment has been years in the making.

Growing up, Emberlene moved frequently. In her 36 years, she estimates she moved nearly 50 times. When she became a mother, one of her biggest hopes was to give Leeahna something different: a place where she could feel secure and know that she would always have a home.

For the past three years, Emberlene had been renting a mother-in-law suite on an elderly woman’s property in Groveland. She was grateful for the opportunity, but she also knew that her housing situation could change at any time.

“I want to give my daughter a forever home,” Emberlene shared.

She had already experienced disappointment in her journey toward homeownership. She applied for Habitat’s Homeownership Program before and was denied. The next time she applied, she made it all the way to becoming a finalist, but ultimately was the runner-up.

It would have been easy to give up.

Instead, Emberlene kept going.

Her friends and fellow Habitat homeowners, Jessica and Cynthia, encouraged her to apply when applications opened for a home in Leesburg. Emberlene followed their advice, submitted her application, and waited.

Then came the calls from Veronica, a member of Habitat Lake-Sumter’s Homeownership team who had worked with Emberlene throughout the process. One document was requested, then another, and another. Emberlene’s excitement grew, but so did the nerves.

Then came the call she had been waiting for.

She was accepted.

There was still work to do. Emberlene committed to making the necessary payments, worked hard to improve her finances, began completing her sweat equity hours, and continued preparing for the home she had prayed for.

Throughout the process, she found herself returning to her faith.

“I have been praying over the property. I have been praying over the whole process,” she said.

And now, those prayers have led her home.

Emberlene is looking forward to making the house her own, from cooking healthy meals in her new kitchen to spending quiet mornings on the porch. She is especially excited about having a bathtub, something her previous home did not have.

Leeahna has dreams of her own. She is excited to have her own room to decorate, spend time outside, and enjoy a home without the challenges of well water.

But some of the most meaningful moments are still ahead.

Emberlene is already dreaming about hosting her first Thanksgiving and Christmas in the home, having movie nights and paint nights with her daughter, and creating a safe place where Leeahna and her friends can gather. She hopes to create a small volleyball area in the backyard for Leeahna and her teammates.

Most importantly, she wants the home to be a place filled with faith.

“A place people feel Jesus and his goodness,” Emberlene said.

Her advice to future Habitat families is simple:

Keep going.

“Keep applying, even if you get denied and denied, apply again and again. Keep faith. Keep praying. Keep going no matter what.”

Emberlene did exactly that.

And on June 26, after years of hoping, praying, working, and waiting, she and Leeahna finally had the keys to their forever home.

We are so excited to welcome Emberlene and Leeahna to the Habitat Lake-Sumter homeowner family.