Standing in the living room of her new home, surrounded by the people who helped build it, Jackie Josepayt-Schlicher fought through tears to thank everyone in the room.

For the past year, she and her family have dedicated hundreds of hours to the Little Egg Harbor house, working alongside volunteers from Habitat for Humanity of Southern Ocean County to finalize their future home. Finally able to admire the culmination of their hard work at the home dedication ceremony on April 26, Josepayt-Schlicher was overjoyed and relieved.

Josepayt-Schlicher, who was living in Tuckerton previously, stumbled upon the opportunity to work with Habitat for…