May 23—ANDERSON — The emotions and excitement of becoming first member of her family to own a house showed as Noralene Crawford prepared to enter her new home.

Crawford and her son Keyeren McCullough, 10, will be living in the home.

"It ends a generational curse," Crawford said. "Because no one in my family has ever owned a home, out of six kids and my parents."

She worked on the construction of the Habitat for Humanity home in the 1400 block of Forkner Street with the volunteers and contractors.

"Been waiting for 15 months to move into the house," Crawford said.

"I'm real excited," McCullough said. "I'm going to help."

Crawford and her son have been living in a rented house on Halford Street.

"Glory to God," Crawford said. "I want to thank all the workers, investors and the city of Anderson."

Jan Miller, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said the $120,000 to construct the house came from donors and contractors that supplied the work.

The property was donated by the Anderson Community Development Corp. which is also donating two lots across the street for the construction of two houses.

Miller said the hope is to complete those houses next spring.

"It takes a village to build a Habitat house," she said. "These houses are supported through funding from the city and the donated property."

Miller said the property was obtained through the city's blight elimination program.

"We're going to change the whole neighborhood," she said.

The house is adjacent to the community garden being operated by the Gathering of the Queens.

"This is an exciting time," Anderson Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. said during the blessing of the Crawford house.

Broderick said Habitat for Humanity is the perfect organization to work with the city in revitalizing the former blighted property.

"We all work together," he said.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.