A Long Walk Home

Ronyelle’s path to homeownership was fraught with difficulty. “I didn’t have a car or access to one,” she remembers. “I was working full-time at minimum wage, going to school for my medical assistant degree and working the unpaid externships I needed to graduate.” On top of all this, she was pregnant.

Ronyelle walked everywhere, in all kinds of weather. The nearest public transportation stop was a trek from home. She walked so much and worked so hard that, toward the end of her pregnancy, her doctors expressed concern. “I did what I had to do to make sure I could provide for my baby,” she explains. “It was hard, but that’s what the women in my family have all taught me. You work hard for what you want in this world.”

Ronyelle applied to Atlanta Habitat’s first-time homebuyer program more than once while working to get her finances in order. Finally, she was accepted as one of two 2018 Atlanta Women’s Build families. Ronyelle points to a large yard where her son, now age five, can freely run and play outside. “I want this home to be an asset for generations to come. It’s a testament to my aunts, mother, grandmothers and great-grandmother’s blood, sweat and tears.” And a few of her own.