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A home for the holidays: Central Westmoreland Habitat hands over keys to Jeannette resident

Patrick Varine
Slide 1
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Jaden Bentley, 7, reacts with excitement as he spies out of his bedroom window for the first time upon seeing his room during a Habitat for Humanity ceremony where the finished home was given to Jaden and his mother, Tia Bentley, both of Jeannette, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 in Jeannette.
Slide 2
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Courtney Guerrieri, executive director of Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity, hands the house key to Tia Bentley.
Slide 3
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
The home on Eighth Street in Jeannette that was remodeled by Habitat for Humanity is seen on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 before a key ceremony for the new homeowners in Jeannette.
Slide 4
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Courtney Guerrieri, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in central Westmoreland, introduces Tia Bentley, and her son, Jaden Bentley, 7, as they are surrounded by volunteers and local contributors during a key ceremony for their new home on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 in Jeannette.
Slide 5
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Tia Bentley reacts with amazement upon seeing her new bedroom for the first time during at Habitat for Humanity key ceremony for the newly remodeled home on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 in Jeannette.
Slide 6
Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Jaden Bentley, 7, explores every space in the new home with his mom, Tia Bentley, after the Habitat for Humanity key ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 in Jeannette.

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This time last year, Tia Bentley of Jeannette was mourning the loss of her father and sinking $900 each month into a rental home.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bentley received the keys to a newly renovated Jeannette home after spending nine months working with Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity officials getting it ready.

Neither Bentley nor Central Westmoreland Executive Director Courtney Guerrieri was shy about their feelings as Guerrieri handed over the keys.

“There’s going to be a lot of ugly-­crying today,” she said as she began to tear up.

More than 80 volunteers put 400 hours into remodeling the South Eighth Avenue property that will be home to Bentley, 28, and her 7-year-old son, Jaden, who spent most of Tuesday’s closing running around the house and yelling out the identity of each room.

“This one’s going to be the living room!” he shouted as he jumped in the air. “I can’t even touch the ceiling, it’s so big!”

Guerrieri said this will be the second home that Central West­moreland Habitat has provided for a local family in 2022.

“We get anywhere from five to 50 applicants each year,” she said. “I have a stack of 35 applications right now on my desk.”

Recruiting volunteers from the community as well as businesses such as First Commonwealth Bank and groups such as the Cornerstone Ministries youth group, Bentley and Habitat officials started rehabbing the house around March.

“Getting the house stripped down was probably the biggest challenge,” said Bentley, a Mississippi native who grew up in Monroeville.

Central Westmoreland Habitat board president Chad Warhold said Bentley deserves recognition for the work she put in.

“You put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this yourself,” he said.

Habitat officials are looking to keep that hard work going: Guerrieri recently spoke with Jeannette city officials, offering to form a mutually beneficial partnership that will provide Habitat with potential housing stock as the city works to clear and rehabilitate blighted properties.

The organization also is partnering with local businesses. In addition to providing volunteers, officials from Elliott Group in Jeannette donated financially to the project.

“I just get chills thinking about you guys moving into this house, especially this time of year, and the memories you’ll make,” said Elliott Group Chief Operating Officer Shane Reph.

Bentley agreed.

“I always told Jaden that every time we’d move, I wanted it to be a steppingstone,” she said. “So being able to get the keys a few days before Christmas? He’s really excited.”

In addition to closing on Bentley’s new home, Central Westmoreland Habitat handed over the keys to an Orange Avenue home in September.

Guerrieri reminded those present at Tuesday’s closing about the good they are doing.

“You are giving hope and stability to a local family, and we can’t thank you enough,” she said.

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