Two days before Christmas, Amelia Mixon and her children lost their only car in a wreck.

Six days after moving into a new home around the first of the year, it burned.

But Keystone Ministries, which has been working with the family, isn’t giving up. Nor is Amelia Mixon.

Mixon and five of her children, all younger than 13, had been living in public housing in Waltersville Estates in Kings until about Jan. 1.

Then, through the efforts of Keystone, they moved into the home at 1718 Crawford St.

&#8220Keystone bought the home for them, believing it was a permanent home where she would be able to raise her family,” Keystone co-founder James Hartley said.

Hartley, who is also chaplain for the Warren County Jail, began holding church at Keystone about 2 1/2 years ago, with children’s services on Wednesday nights and regular Sunday services. Mixon’s two older children began attending the Wednesday programs around then and Mixon herself began attending church at Keystone about a year ago, Hartley said.

&#8220They’re like our family,” Hartley said of the Mixon family’s relationship with his own. Hartley’s wife, Debra, is also a co-founder of Keystone and they have an adopted daughter, Nicole.

&#8220Our goal is to get them back in their own home with a yard to play in,” Hartley said.

Hartley said he &#8220feels really responsible” for the Mixon family since he helped them move out of public housing and into the Crawford Street home. Keystone bought the home, and some of the people in its program worked to renovate it, including painting and installing new carpet and appliances, Hartley said.

&#8220She’s got a great group of children,” Hartley said. &#8220We’re just trying to give them an opportunity.”

Hartley said the older brothers had already built a clubhouse in the back yard of the home before it burned, something they couldn’t have done in public housing.

After the fire Mixon and five of her children moved into a motel with two double beds. The American Red Cross paid initially, but Keystone has footed the bill since, Hartley said.

Keystone will continue to pay the family’s temporary housing costs, renting a two-bedroom apartment, Hartley said.

&#8220We need to get them out of a hotel and into a place where they can cook and bathe and stuff,” Hartley said.

Keystone is also searching for a similar home to buy the Mixons to replace the one that burned. Such a home may be one that the city has designated to be demolished, one that &#8220just needs some attention,” Hartley said.

Keystone also would like to rebuild on the site where the Crawford Street home burned, Hartley said.