The Poindexter family lived in an unsafe area near Henderson, Kentucky.

"It was horrible," said Michelle. "It was always violent. Sometimes gunshots. I just had to get my child away from that because I didn't want anything to happen to her."

But like most Kentuckians, Melissa could not afford to buy a home with a traditional mortgage. Interest rates were too high. The money just wasn't there.

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity and many hours of sweat equity, however, the Poindexters finally did get away and into a brand-new home that they own.

"It's a great opportunity," she said. "Getting a home, being able to leave it with my daughter or her kids, it's just something that has been in my sight for years, and now I have made it to my destination."

Watch the full interview with Michelle and the Habitat home dedication ceremony in the video below.