Christmas 2020 will be a new experience this year for six Collin County families – three in Wylie, one in Plano and two in McKinney – who moved into new homes thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Collin County.

Laura Manning and her two children, Emily, 9, and Aidan, 10, are one of those families. After moving from apartment to apartment throughout the Me­troplex every 1-2 years because of rent increases, Manning is happy to put down roots in Wy­lie, and her children are thrilled to have their own bedrooms and a yard for a future puppy.

The single mother, who is also an Army veteran, was of­ficially given the keys to her “like-new” four-bedroom home Saturday, Nov. 7. While there are a few different ave­nues to owning a Habitat home, Manning was able to acquire a 2-year-old recycled Habitat house that a larger family gave back to the nonprofit due to re­locating.

For the full story, see the Nov. 19 issue or subscribe online.

By Sonia Duggan • [email protected]