Sarah McVeigh had difficulty holding back her emotions as she spoke before family, friends, future neighbors and Haywood Habitat For Humanity volunteers attending a dedication ceremony July 9 marking the completion of a remodeled home soon to be hers.

Located on Pebblebrook Street in Clyde, the two-bedroom house was donated to Habitat by Bob Browning, a Canton businessman, as a tax write-off. Habitat volunteers, including McVeigh and her daughter, Hannah, helped remodel the lower level and install upgrades.

Employed by the NC State Department of Transportation, McVeigh conveyed how her life hit bottom after a bitter divorce. It was her brother, Kevin, who encouraged her to apply for a Habitat house.

“I was so afraid to apply and possibly face denial,” she said. “But he believed in me and ...