ATLANTA -

Volunteers from Nissan are working hard to ensure that one single mother of two has a solid roof over her head and a new home.

As a result of a sustainable building grant from Nissan, Kenya Bouie’s new home in Jonesboro, Ga., is one of 10 Habitat for Humanity homes that will be built around the U.S.

Volunteers from Nissan are helping to build Bouie’s home, along with Habitat for Humanity.

Bouie’s house will be certified to Energy Star 3.0 requirements, recognized as an advanced level of energy efficiency, officials explained.

And the story takes a turn, since Bouie actually worked with Habitat herself for five months, helping to remodel other Habitat houses and improve neighborhoods, before building her own house.

Commenting on her work, Bouie noted, “I met a lot of people” she said, "and realized I wasn’t the only one facing an uphill housing battle.“ 

“And, I learned what should be done in a home when something happens, how to fix it without having to spend a lot of money (to be) cost efficient, and it helps me be independent,” she continued.

And highlighting Nissan’s role in more detail, the sustainable building program is part of an ongoing multi-million dollar partnership between the OEM and Habitat.

“Since the partnership began in 2005, Nissan has donated 104 vehicles to support Habitat’s mission, and its employees have built more than 50 Habitat homes in communities where Nissan has corporate operations and manufacturing plants,” the company noted.

And as for the newest home in Jonesboro, a few dozen Nissan employees worked at the jobsite, “directly investing in Kenya Bouie and the future of her two young girls,” the company explained.

And in a matter of days, the three-bedroom home will be ready for roofers and utility installers to follow.

This is particularly poignant because Bouie noted that the apartment complex in Clayton County the family currently lives in is too “crime-ridden” to let the girls play outside.

And as she worked alongside the Nissan volunteers, the OEM’s employees noted that Bouie expressed her gratitude over and over.

“She couldn’t stop smiling while she worked,” they said.

“I’ll never forget what people are doing for me and my girls," Bouie concluded.