GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Two Clay County families have new homes on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after a months-long construction from Habitat for Humanity.

Glenda Lee called the dedication the icing on the cake after the paperwork and the building phase, which she participated in. Lee then gave tours of her three-bedroom, two-bathroom house.

“It’s just an honor,” she said.

In April, the two homes were a pair of frames. Volunteers donned hardhats and hammers and got to work. Builders and volunteers wrote messages and bible verses on parts of the house before it was finished.

Lee is from Green Cove Springs and she was reared in Detroit. She started the Habitat process September of 2018 and will live with her grandson. Lee said her mother died a few weeks before the house was finished.

“She wanted to see it, but I feel her presence in this house,” Lee said. “It’s been a journey, but we got through it all. I’m blessed.”

About 50 people attended the dedication, including representatives from the Jacksonville Jaguars and TIAA Bank. Megan Marsh and her son thanked organizers and volunteers. Both families were presented with a hammer, bibles and an array of gifts from local businesses and residents.

Marsh is from Orange Park and said she got more than a house out of the process.

“I want to say thank you to everyone, this means a lot to me and my son to have a home. I knew I was going to get a house, but I also gained a good neighbor, family members and friends,” Marsh said. “I’m so blessed to have this opportunity.”

Applicants qualify for a new home based on hazardous living conditions or if they spend 40% of their income on housing. Applicants must live in Clay County or work in the county for a year to qualify for a Habitat for Humanity home.

They must be able to afford a $1,000 minimum down payment and interest-free mortgage payment of $800-$900. Homeowners must complete between 300 to 500 “sweat equity” hours, working on the homes they hope to live in.

The dedication was part of the Jaguars’ and TIAA Bank’s “One Team. One Home.” Five-year, $2 million initiative to repair or build 100 new homes in Northeast Florida.

Habitat board member Jerry Kemp, a volunteer since 2001 and former president of the board, praised the hard work of Lee and Marsh. He said about 70 people were involved in building the house.

“That’s the largest number I’ve seen,” Kemp said. “(Lee) worked and she worked.”

Habitat Executive Director Carolyn Edwards and others thanked the Habitat’s numerous sponsors.

“We can see what happens when hearts and hands come together to make this a better world,” Edwards said.

For more information on volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, visit clayhabitat.org.