Carney family gets keys to new home

STILLWATER, Okla. It has been a year of devastation and hope for the Knox family of Carney, but they received the best Christmas present in the form of a new home just days before Christmas.

The Knox family lost their home and business in the EF4 tornado that ripped through Carney on May 19. Jeremy and Jessica Knox and their four sons waited the storm out at Jeremys parents house nearby.

Running up the hill from his parents to see the devastation was hard, Jessica said.

The Knoxs decided to apply for Habitat for Humanity after they were approached by Bo Blakey, executive director for Habitat for Humanity in Stillwater. It was several months before they heard back, but the Knox family qualified for a new home.

We didnt know what else to do at the time, Jeremy said. They were very anxious to help us.

Habitat for Humanity completed a blitz build on the Knoxs new home in just four weeks. For the Knoxs, the most important detail of their new home was a storm shelter. Their previous home didnt have a safe place to go during bad weather. The tornado also destroyed their property and left the land bare.

What sold me was not the house, but the landscaping and the shelter, Jessica said. (The tornado) took all the trees and now its beautiful again, and were going to plant more trees.

It was a family effort to rebuild their home, as much as it was for the community and Habitat for Humanity. Each member of the Knox family took part in building their new house. They helped with the foundation, plumbing, wiring, painting and other jobs.

We all stepped in and worked as much as we could, Jeremy said.

The Knoxs began moving in immediately after the Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony. Jeremy said itll be special for his sons to be in their new home before Christmas Day.

Read the original here:
Carney family gets keys to new home