In Myriyacle and Damon’s family of four, God is their foundation. In every season and in every circumstance, Myriyacle and Damon always turn to God and God’s promises, and they are raising their two children: Nevaeh (13) and Da’myaun (10) to do the same.
Deep faith and great work ethic are in Myriyacle’s blood. Being raised in a single parent home, she saw her strong mother work three jobs to support her and her siblings. Myriyacle knew when she grew up that she wanted to emulate those same values in her own life too.
“It was kind of just instilled in me that if you want things, you have to work hard to get them,” she says. “Everything I have is from the hard work that I put in and from God.”
Myriyacle started her first job when she was only 14 years old, and since then she has worked in food service, childcare, youth development, insurance and healthcare. She is now a full-time licensed Certified Nursing Assistant and an honors student in college, earning her degree in Healthcare Administration. She also runs an event decorating business and leads a group focused on uplifting women. Damon also works hard as a merchandizer for a Fortune 500 company, and he is a huge supporter of Myriyacle and her career.
Currently, this family, along with their two fur babies, have limited space and privacy in their two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. Their rent is overpriced, and they are constantly dealing with maintenance problems such as a broken water heater and plumbing. Though the apartment complex patches the leaks, they never permanently fix the problems, so the apartment continues to have the same issues over and over again.
“It is very frustrating. If I am renting, and I am paying as much as I am paying, these issues should not be recurring,” Myriyacle said.
Myriyacle and Damon have been dreaming of owning their own home – a place where they will find stability and independence for themselves and their children – but homebuying has been out of reach financially. As firm believers in God’s will and promises, they have been patiently waiting and praying for homeownership to become a reality in God’s timing.
Last year, Myriyacle started researching Knoxville Habitat for Humanity after her sister told her to apply. Myriyacle said, “I started looking up Habitat and what it’s all about. I was wowed when I found out more.” She prayed for her dreams of becoming a homeowner to be fulfilled and applied to partner with Knoxville Habitat.
Myriyacle, Damon and their family feel incredibly blessed to be building their first home together with Knoxville Habitat. Myriyacle said, “Habitat has been nothing short of a blessing. We will own a home… It is a breath of fresh air.”
These parents are excited for all the possibilities their new home will create. Their kids will each have their own bedroom to make their own. They will have a grill on their patio and host BBQs with neighbors, family and friends. They will play in their yard and fill their home with laughter and love. They will feel the strength, stability, and independence that comes from owning your own home.
Myriyacle said, “This is going to be somewhere we can really and truly call home and where I can watch my children grow up. It’s a home that will be passed down generation to generation … We would not be here without God, and I’m just so grateful.”
