Tearful single mom to move into 30th Habitat home in Beaufort

Lowcountry Habitat for Humanity dedicated its 30th house built in Beaufort during a ceremony Sunday that had new homeowner Anne Marie Ray dabbing away tears throughout the afternoon.

Ray's three children peered over the side rail of their new two-story house on Prince Street as she thanked the volunteers and workers who helped fulfill her dream of owning a home.

"I'm so fortunate," said Ray, a 27-year-old Beaufort native. "It's been a very emotional day. It's the first time my kids have been able to come inside and see their new home. We just love it."

About 40 people gathered outside to help Ray and Habitat workers dedicate the house. The nonprofit Christian organization helps people in need build and renovate affordable housing. Homes are sold to qualified families in need at no profit and with no interest charged.

Ray's house serves as a "major milestone" for the organization that started serving Beaufort in 1990, said Ryan Copeland of Habitat.

"Today represents the culmination of a lot of hard work, not just on this house, but all of the Habitat homes in Beaufort," he said. "You start with nothing and you end up with affordable housing."

Habitat's next house will go near Battery Creek High School, and the group also has plans for four houses near the Penn Center on St. Helena Island.

Visitors toured the more than 1,000-square-foot Prince Street house as Caleb, 7, and Bryson, 4, staked their claim on one of the bedrooms upstairs. Their 3-year-old sister, Victoria, marveled at the new laundry room, complete with a new washer and dryer, just outside her own new bedroom.

The home is near four other Habitat houses, all built on property donated by Beaufort County, that form a community along Prince Street. The homes all have names, and Ray's is aptly referred to as "The Faith House," Copeland said.

"I can honestly say this house was started at a time of economic uncertainty," he said. "It was truly built on faith."

The name also represents the more than 10 area churches of different denominations that provided resources and volunteers.

"This was the first we all really came together to do anything like this," said Associate Pastor Eric Spivey of the Baptist Church of Beaufort.

Ray also relied on faith and perseverance throughout the application process, she said. The first time she applied, she was pregnant with her daughter and only working part time. Workers were afraid she'd have trouble paying off the house. Part of qualifying for a Habitat home includes having a steady income large enough to pay an affordable monthly mortgage -- usually from $300 to $500, Copeland said.

Ray now works full time for the Beaufort County Treasurer's Office.

After being accepted the second time around, Ray was required to perform 250 hours of"sweat equity" spent helping others in need.

"I'm just so very proud of her," said her friend Tithanie Livingston. "She's a single mom, and she did everything she could to get a house for her and her children."