Jaheim and his mother LyTonia will have plenty of walks together down this street.
This morning was their first.
Their destination, a new home.
Thanks to Warrick Dunn Charities, habitat for humanity and the Detroit Lions, this single parent household gets a new start to its life.
LyTonia was gifted the down payment on the home, which she now owns.
“I want to thank Habitat family and all the ones that supported Habitat to make this happen, I’m just so happy,” new homeowner LyTonia Whiteside said.
But what the family did not know, was the surprise inside.
The house was completely furnished from top to bottom, no detail left behind, perhaps a little lions flare, but enough authentic surprise and appreciation to light up any Christmas tree.
“I did not expect to be in my home, I am truly blessed. I thank God, Habitat, I thank Warrick, the Lions and everyone that made it possible for me, thank you,” Whiteside added.
Seeing this family restart in this way was a touching moment for the Lions alumni who helped make the day that much more special.
“Changing the direction of their life and puts them on a different path, there is something that they’re looking forward to that’s a little different than maybe what the past was, so this goes a long way in terms of altering a persons life, the mentality and giving them hope to move in a different direction, that’s exactly what you get,” former Lion Herman Moore said.
This Christmas will go down in their memory banks forever as new homeowners start their new journey, on their new block.
