BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Life has come full circle for Kassie Betts and her family.

On Wednesday, July 26, the Betts family received the keys to their long-awaited home in Bay Minette. Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County conducted the celebration and blessing ceremony to officially turn over its Circle of Faith Build to homeowner Kassie Betts and her children.

“This is one of the best parts of this job,” said Sandra Folan, Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County executive director. “We are there with them every step of the way, worrying with them, working beside them and sweating with them and on the day you get to hand over the keys to their new home, it makes it all worth it.”

The ceremony included the presentation of many gifts from local partners and friends including a Bible, bookshelves filled with books, special Cross canvases, washer and dryer, cleaning supplies, homemade quilt and gift certificates, among others.

Among those making presentations were made Joan Kellis, HfHBC community resource coordinator; Beverly Spicknal , HfHBC family services coordinator, and HfHBC Construction Manager Greg Parker, who presented the keys to the Betts family.

Hundreds of volunteers have spent the past few months working on the Habitat home and the Betts family has been working right alongside them contributing more than 200 hours of labor to help complete the home.

Habitat homeowners pay a 30-year interest-free mortgage, making it affordable and manageable. They are also expected to invest 400 hours of "sweat equity" in the program by assisting with other builds, their own build, and attending financial education classes, monthly budgeting meetings and homeowner preparation classes.

The Betts family began the application process in fall of 2015 and was soon approved. Prior to construction of her home, Kassie Betts had already completed hundreds of hours of service on other projects around the county and had attended Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. She accomplished all this while working two jobs to support her family. Habitat officials said she is well on her way to being debt-free.

This year, Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County is celebrating its 25th anniversary and since its inception, has completed more than 100 homes in Baldwin County and repaired numerous homes for veterans and other residents.

The city of Bay Minette and North Baldwin Utilities donated the property for the build, Folan said, and the build was made possible through donations from several area churches.

“Through a ‘Circle of Faith’ we sent the word out that if at least 60 churches donated $1,000 each that we could build a home,” Folan said. “Several area churches stepped up to the plate and made this build possible.”

Faith sponsors included City Hope Church, Dwight Grandia; First Presbyterian Church of Gulf Shores, Gulf Shores United Methodist Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Orange Beach United Methodist Church, Providence United Methodist, Robertsdale United Methodist Church, Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church, Spanish Fort United Methodist Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, along with the Helen A. Young Charitable Fund, Publix Supermarket Charities, Bayshore Christian School and St. Paul’s Thrift Store.

Also recognized during the ceremony were T & M Heating and Air, Mac Byrd; PDSI, Flowerwood Nursery, Gulf Coast Pest Control, Shane Hadley, Jan Paul, Riebling Farms Inc., River View Farms, Valspar and Whirlpool.

For more information about how to help on this or other Habitat projects, visit the organization's website at baldwinhabitat.org.

Onlooker co-editor John Underwood contributed to this report.