NJ veteran gets forever home with Habitat for Humanity
PERTH AMBOY, N.J. (PIX11) - A veteran in New Jersey is home for the holidays, forever.
"I don't have words to express how I feel," said Mylcaryz Moquete, a former Army medic. "I'm still trying to process everything."
Moquete and her family are walking into their newly-built forever home in Perth Amboy, where they won't have to wait long to begin making memories.
"We are going to host Christmas here," said Moquete, "and just take pictures and enjoy family time, and many more to come."
It was a year ago the house was just a foundation and beams. Now, because of their own sweat equity - and help from hundreds of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity - their dream has come true.
The family was recently featured on NBC's home renovation show "George to the Rescue," where they were surprised with a full interior furnishing and design.
The Velez-Comacho family also helped build their new home night next door, also getting the show's treatment and Habitat's hand-up. Altogether, more than 400 volunteers donated nearly 3,000 hours of their time.
"Most of the hours of our school day we would come and work here," said Alyssa Marino, a student at Timothy Christian School in Piscataway, which had dozens of students volunteer to build the home. "I hope that [my classmates] are grateful for what they have. I hope that they take away how blessed we are."
While new decor and tables are certainly blessings, Moquete knows it's who's around the table that matters most.
"Just making memories with my husband, my kids, family," said Moquete.