Sitting atop the Aaron Street hill is what Dionely Hance and her two daughters can now call "our castle and our keep." Nestled among other homes is a quiet neighborhood with South Mountain as a backdrop, it offers a spectacular view of the Southside, especially the casino. That home is there thanks to Habitat Lehigh Valley's Women Build program. The home was dedicated in early December, just in time for Christmas.

Hance and her two daughters – Eliany, age 6, and Xamaya, age 3 – will move into their first house, leaving behind an apartment whose only insulation was the termites. There were no closets in the bedroom, and she was unable to lock the street-level windows.

How did this 2009 Freedom HS grad, who has worked since her graduation as a collections agent, pull it off?

Habitat Lehigh Valley's Women Build program managed to raise the $85,000 needed to build the house, then they built it, Women who want to learn construction skills to build homes and communities and eliminate poverty, one house at a time, did it.

Hance, like all Habitat homeowners, was required to make a down payment and will pay back a no-interest mortgage. She was also required to put in 250 hours of "sweat equity".

Habitat for Humanity's mission is to provide affordable housing for hardworking low-income families by giving a "hand up" instead of a "hand out."

Habitat Lehigh Valley has built more than 100 homes in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton since 1989 for families in need of simple, decent, affordable housing. For more information, go to www.HabitatLV.org or call 610-776-7737.

At the dedication, Women Build Committee members shared speeches and, more importantly, food. While happy people celebrated and ate, a quiet corner of the house was lit up by a small Christmas tree.

That house is now a home.