Home for Christmas: Habitat for Humanity overcomes weather, work and a theft to help the Warren family find their new home

Danny Gallagher/McKinney Courier-Gazette - Taira Warren, right, and her 16-year-old son Anthony stand in front of a Christmas tree in the living room of their new home. Mrs. Warren said this will be the first tree her family has ever had during Christmas.

By Danny Gallagher, McKinney Courier-Gazette

The North Collin County Habitat for Humanity (NCCHFH) had to overcome a lot of obstacles to bring the Warren family their own home before Christmas.

That's typical for any home project, just like the other nine they worked on throughout the year, house leader and volunteer Larry Pietenpol said.

Then just as the project closed in on its home stretch, someone broke into a trailer on the site and stole more than $5,000 worth of vital tools less than two weeks before the scheduled dedication ceremony.

"We just had a whole lot that we have to get through," executive director Celeste Faro said.

Despite the setback, the NCCHFH and the community rallied together to finish the build and gives Taira "Tara" Warren and her two boys the keys to their new home last Saturday on Anthony Street.

Mrs. Warren, who works at a credit bureau and lives with her sons 16-year-old Anthony and 8-year-old Craig in a small apartment, said she's excited to be moving into a place that can truly call her home for the first time for her family.

"It's mine," she said. "Living in an apartment feels a lot different because it doesn't feel like it's mine. Now I'm not hearing the neighbors through the walls brushing their teeth or sneezing. I don't have to worry at night about somebody playing outside the window or finding a place to park...It wasn't personal. This is my home."

The event featured a crowd of builders, family members and friends and city and county leaders who stood on Mrs. Warren's new front lawn and helped dedicate and bless the house as they prepare to move into it. All the way, people could hear the sounds of hammering and saws as NCCHFH volunteers worked on a second home located just behind Mrs. Warren's new home.

"Eleven weeks is quicker than we've ever done before," Faro said referring to the amount of time it took to finish Mrs. Warren's house with approximately 30 to 40 volunteers.

Even the donations during the initial build and after word of the theft hit the community poured into the NCCHFH offices. The local Home Depot even donated a Christmas tree to the family, making it the first time the Warrens will have a tree in their home for the holiday, Mrs. Warren said.

The house still needs a few finishing touches to make the home complete, so the Warrens didn't get to officially move in after Saturday's dedication. Mrs. Warren said she's fine with that since it gives her some more time to work it making it home for her and her boys.

"I'm very anxious to get in here and start decorating," she said. "Now when I go shopping (for things for the home), I have so many options."

Contact Danny Gallagher at dgallagher@acnpapers.com.