Erneika Mejia is a single mother of four wonderful children – Ny’Kietria (17), Ja’Cari (16) (not pictured), Gregory (13), and Chanel (11). She has worked as the Financial Crime Specialist for Wells Fargo Bank’s Pompano Beach branch for nine years. Her son Gregory is part of the Keystone club of the Boys and Girls Club and Chanel is a Girl Scout.

The vibrant family of five currently reside in a small apartment in an unsafe neighborhood. “There’s a lot of crime and several reported murders,” Erneika shares. In fact, Erneika was the victim of a shooting a few years ago. It was then she decided that she had to find a safe, stable place for her children.

“I want to be able to have something that I can give to my kids as an inheritance,” says Erneika about becoming a homeowner. Now that she has been accepted into the Habitat Broward program, Erneika is well on her way to becoming the first in her family to own a home.

“I want to teach my kids the importance of homeownership,” Erneika says. With the money she will save from her zero-interest mortgage, Erneika can begin focusing on going back to school to pursue a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice.