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Virginia Jones helping break ground on her new home in Clanton, and Shannon Kennedy and her daughter receiving the keys to their new home in Clanton on Feb. 15, both from the Habitat for Humanity of Autauga and Chilton Counties. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

Shannon Kennedy’s family in front of her new home in Clanton. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

Virginia Jones speaks to the crowd before the groundbreaking ceremony for her home. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

Pastor Cynthia Jones, left, presents Shannon Kennedy with a Bible for her new home. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

The Jones Family, friends, home builders, Habitat volunteers and dignitaries gather to toss dirt to honor the groundbreaking of Jones’ home. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

Executive Director of the Habitat for Humanity of Autauga and Chilton Counties Daon Johnson with the Kennedy family during their home dedication. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

The future sight of the home for Virginia Jones’ and her family. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Habitat for Humanity of Autauga and Chilton Counties broke ground on a home while dedicating another on Feb. 15 in the West End neighborhood that will change two family’s lives in Clanton forever.

Virginia Jones and Shannon Kennedy are two of the individuals selected by Habitat as the nonprofit works to give deserving families a chance to own their own home. The event happened on First Avenue North in Clanton in the West End neighborhood where Habitat is in the midst of turning the strip of vacant lots into brand new homes.

“This was wonderful, and this was the first time for us doing it one after the other,” Daon Johnson, Executive Director of the Habitat for Humanity of Autauga and Chilton Counties, said. “It is very exciting, and it has been great to see the neighborhood brighten up and the people come together to build for this family. It fills my heart to see their excitement.”

First, Jones’ home groundbreaking ceremony took place with Johnson welcoming the crowd of friends, families, Habitat volunteers, home builders and dignitaries from the City of Clanton and Chilton County. Greta Mims, President of the HFHACC, gave remarks on the Jones Family’s selection for the house. Last August, Jones lost her home to a house fire leaving her without a home. A friend at work told her about Habitat for Humanity and the nonprofit taking applications for homes being built in Clanton. Jones applied, and it was a great thing that she did.

“It means a whole lot, and it is giving me a chance to have my own house again … It means a lot,” Jones said. “Now I have a happy place again … I am just so blessed and thankful that this happened for me and allowing me to have this opportunity.”

When the time came to break ground, Jones, her family, friends, City of Clanton and Chilton County dignitaries, home builders, Habitat volunteers and more grabbed a hard hat and shovel and gathered around the dirt pile. The shovels were turned to honor ground broke on the house, but the foundation for the Jones Family home is already well underway.

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, the crowd walked around to the next-door lot where Kennedy’s new home stood complete and ready for dedication. Ground was broken on Kennedy’s home on Oct. 4, and just over four months later her home was completed.

Kennedy being awarded the house by Habitat comes in a full circle moment for her. She grew up right across the street on First Avenue North, right where her new home is being built. When Kennedy first heard where the home was going to be built at, she was taken back by the location, and will now get the raise her daughter just steps from where she grew up.

“It has been wonderful, my daughter is so excited and I am more excited for her than I am for me,” Kennedy said. “I give thanks to the good Lord, and it is all by his mercy and grace.”

Habitat receives hundreds of applicants for the homes they build, and the board awards the homes based on three criteria during the application process — their need, their ability to pay and their willingness to partner with Habitat.

The need is shown when Habitat visits the homes of the applicants after the first phase of the selection process is completed so the board can see firsthand what the applicants’ needs are. The ability to pay is making sure the applicant has some kind of income coming in whether that be a job, social security or disability. The willingness to partner is that the applicants chosen have to work 250 hours with Habitat for Humanity — 125 hours on another home and 125 hours on their own home. Also, included in those 250 hours is 25 hours of educational courses that are required that Habitat provides. These courses cover finances, house maintenance, gardening and nutrition classes that are all geared towards helping prepare the families for home ownership.

Kennedy put in her 250 hours for Habitat working on a home in Prattville and getting the opportunity to work on her own home. She put in overtime as well with well over the required 250 hours worked.

“It is just amazing, and I am overwhelmed and I want to start crying,” Kennedy said. “It is amazing, and it was so fast. This one they built like that, and I was able to help. (The volunteers) are so friendly, they do anything for you and they are so helpful. They built my house so fast … I did not think it was going to be up this fast.”

Kennedy’s home was the 51st home completed by the Habitat for Humanity of Autauga and Chilton Counties between the two counties.

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