December 31, 2007
A Very Special Gift for a Biloxi Family

By Krystal Allen
WLOX

A Biloxi family will ring in the New Year in their new home. Nicole Issac and her family moved into their new Habitat for Humanity home after living in a cramped FEMA trailer for more than a year.

Besides moving, the family is also celebrating a very important first for mom, Nicole.

"This is my home and I can say, you know, I love it," says Nicole.

Nicole Issac and her family received an early Christmas present this year. Not only did they move into their new home the week before Christmas, it was also their first home they owned.

Nicole says, "I've been renting and leasing for a long time. It hasn't hit me saying that this is my home. I'm still saying I'm going to go pay my rent instead of saying I'm going to go pay my mortgage."

Habitat for Humanity teamed up with 84 Lumber and 20 players from the PGA tour, who played a benefit tournament in October, to get the Issacs home in time for the holidays. The family says the best part of moving in before the Christmas was putting up a Christmas tree. Nine year old Lorenzo took on the task.

"He did it by himself over the phone with one of his friends. It was too funny, and he was like 'I got it Momma. I'm putting a bulb here and there.' It was just exciting to put up a tree in your home.

When it comes to their new home, Lorenzo can sum up how he feels in three short words, "I love it."

So do his sisters, Dominique and Danesha. The girls share a room at the end of the hallway. "It's awesome to live in something besides a trailer."

Up the hall and to the right, Lorenzo has his own room. He says his bed is his favorite part about his room. "It's big," says Lorenzo about his bed.

Lorenzo, Dominique, and Daneesha are the reasons why Nicole says she put in the sweat equity hours to get her home. She says she hopes her success story will encourage others to stay persistent about having a place to call their own.

"Never give up. Never give up."

It was a PGA tour official, Mickey Bradley, raised in East Biloxi, who helped bring the benefit tour to the coast.

Although they've settled in, the Issac family says it still has a little more decorating to do on their new home.

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