McHENRY – Dana Ferguson stood in a room bare of furniture but full of smiling people, her voice wavering Saturday as she grasped the keys to her brand-new house.

“I just want to thank everyone for this,” she said, “the friends and the family who’ve been there … everyone who put up with my questions … thank you. It’s really nice.”

Ferguson, 37, and her 11-year-old son, Aidan, became the 23rd family to gain a new home through Habitat for Humanity of McHenry County. With the help of donors, volunteer labor and grant money, the nonprofit organization builds homes for low-income families, allowing them to pay on affordable zero-interest, 100 percent equity mortgages.