Dedication is just one of many lessons soldiers learn serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. With dedication comes perseverance, a lesson Lory M. learned well during her eight years serving in the Navy. She needed every bit of it to become a first-time Atlanta Habitat homeowner.

“I learned the importance of goal-setting and not getting discouraged when things don’t go your way,” she says. “The hardest part of becoming a homeowner was getting through the approval process. There was a lot of paperwork and research. I had my credit to clean up as well as hunting down old forms.” Lory didn’t allow any of it stop her from reaching her goal.

When she learned that her family was selected to build their new home as part of the Novelis Blitz Build, she was overjoyed. During this blitz build, Novelis volunteers, veterans, Lory and Atlanta Habitat staff built her house in seven days of intense effort, rain and shine. The family moved in just in time to spend Veteran’s Day in their new home.  As for the grueling build schedule, some may think the pace is too extreme, but it energized Lory. “Really, it was the easiest and most enjoyable part of this journey,” she says. “’Attention to detail” is the biggest lesson I always preach to my daughters.”

Lory adds that being a homeowner will drastically change life circumstances for she and daughters, Jayla and Shamere for the better. “This is an opportunity for us to have a foundation, work on our goals and get out of the cycle of paying rent with no ownership,” Lory says. “I can’t say thank you enough to Novelis, all the volunteers and Atlanta Habitat!”

Atlanta Habitat has a long history of working with military veterans and active duty families. This Veteran’s Day build comes with a message from Lory. “Finding stability after the military can be hard for some veterans. Atlanta Habitat can help in that transition and that can result in more opportunities. It was worth every bit of the work.”

Lory still works in the medical field, as she did when she was in the military. She is currently a Cardiac Registered Medical Assistant at a local hospital and says she absolutely loves working with the patients. Her life is now just a little bit better because of Atlanta Habitat.