VERO BEACH, Fla. — After years of struggle, one Vero Beach mother is celebrating a new beginning thanks to the power of community partnerships and compassion from complete strangers.
Amy Shaw and her five children walked into their fully furnished four-bedroom home this week, marking the end of years spent searching for stability.
WATCH: Family's new home was a community effort
“It’s more than I could have asked for,” Shaw said.
Her journey toward homeownership began more than two years ago after being approved through Indian River Habitat for Humanity. Ten months ago, volunteers helped raise the walls of her future home.
Shaw said she expected to walk into an empty space but was overwhelmed to find beds, furniture, and everything her family needed already in place.
“My children… they don’t have to sleep on the floor the first few days. That means everything,” she said.
The home was made possible through a partnership between Indian River Habitat for Humanity, iTHINK Financial Community Foundation, and dozens of volunteers and donors.
“This is why we exist,” said Stephen Johnson of iTHINK Financial. “We believe in moving people forward in the communities we serve.”
For Shaw, this isn’t just a home. It’s a new start.
“I just wanted to make sure I was able to raise my children and not have to go through so much, just moving from home to home,” she said.
Her story stands as a reminder of how local support and collaboration can transform lives one family, one key and one new beginning at a time.
