The road to 34 Claiborne St. hasn’t been easy for Michelle Mayfield. But today, the 38-year-old single mother of three can rejoice in her final destination — a place to call home.

At 2 p.m. today, Natchez-Adams County Habitat for Humanity will dedicate its 13th construction — a three bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom house — to the Mayfields.

Michelle submitted an application to Habitat last year, praying to find suitable housing for son Chauncey, 19, and daughters Jerica, 17, and Destiney, 6.

Their previous house, at 131 Lewis Drive, was on its last legs, and Michelle’s salary as a certified nursing assistant at Promise Hospital in Vidalia barely covers monthly expenses. House repairs were out of the question, and a down economy didn’t help matters much.

Michelle said the said she often tries not to think about the stresses of the economic downturn as gas prices climb and bills stack up. While Michelle considers finding extra part-time work, daughter Jerica plans to enlist in the Army or Air Force after high school as a result of the sputtering job market — another stressor Michelle tries not to think about.

“It’s eating me up,” Michelle said. “I really won’t have anybody left but the little baby.”

Though Michelle didn’t want to get specific, the average certified nursing assistant salary is $8 to $10 per hour.

“We barely make it,” Mayfield said. “I won’t let (the children) see, but I’m having a hard time, especially as a single parent.

“It’s hard because they watch me, and I’ve always got a smile on my face so no one will ever know.”

Only once has Michelle let her guard down in front of her children. It was the day Habitat treasurer/secretary Duncan McFarlane came to the house bearing good news.

“I was sitting on the couch just shaking. I screamed to the top of my lungs,” Michelle said. “And then my baby said, ‘I told you mama! I told you we were gonna get picked!’”

The Mayfields’ joy was eventually followed by misfortune. Michelle put on a brave face once again on Veterans Day, when a fire destroyed the Lewis Drive house.

The family moved in with Michelle’s mother on Ingram Circle, which made for cramped living conditions.

“We lost everything,” Michelle said. “All we had were each other, which is enough for me.

“I hope this experience has taught (the children) this is how life goes. You’re not always going to have (material possessions).

“I have to look at the things we lost as material. You can’t cherish nothing because it’s not yours. It’s not meant to be yours forever. It’s material.”

Since being selected by Habitat, Michelle has devoted her time to building her new house alongside volunteers, and rebuilding a home life for her children.

She has purchased some furniture via layaway — a retail option that has regained popularity since the economy turned sour — and she’s also arranging her down payment and monthly mortgage payments for the new house.

Each Habitat family is required to put in at least 250 hours of “sweat equity,” and Michelle and Jerica have met that quota.

Michelle said the sense of giving among Habitat members, churches, schools and various community organizations such as Youth Build and Delta Sigma Theta have taught her not to turn a blind eye to those are struggling to get back on their feet.

“I’ll be there to help somebody else,” she said. “I’m going to give back whether it be (Habitat) or anything else because I know what it’s like to struggle.

“We’ve waited for this day, and we thank God for it.”