Habitat recipient receives keys to Verona home

TUPELO — What was a normal Thursday afternoon for most people in Lee County was also the day Jasmine Penro had been waiting for months. She officially got the keys to the home she helped build with her own two hands.

Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity held a dedication ceremony for its first house of the year, Thursday afternoon. The house, located on Fifth Street in Verona, was built almost entirely through the help of volunteers and the sponsorship of Nettleton-based furniture company Homestretch.

“Thank you to each and every one that has helped, prayed, put in time and gave donations,” Penro said through tears.

Penro is the mother of two, Jakobe Lindsey and 1-year-old Jayda Hamilton. Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity Director Mary Ann Plasencia praised Penro for her hard work and dedication, noting that while raising her children and helping build her home, she also earned an associate’s degree.

During Thursday’s ceremony, Habitat volunteers met to celebrate the home’s completion, blessing it with a prayer. Plasencia also presented Penro with bread, water, honey, a plant and a candle, all of which symbolize different aspects of life. Penro was also gifted a flag and a Bible with her keys.

“This is always a special, holy time for us,” Plasencia said, congratulating the family. “It’s been a bumpy road at times, but we got through it.”

Although donated materials and volunteer labor typically keep the cost of Habitat homes relatively low, recipients are expected to pay for them. Everything from the concrete foundation to the land itself was donated; the land was donated by the city of Verona.

“Thank you for investing in the city of Verona,” Mayor Bobby Williams said, adding that the city hall’s doors were always open to Penro for help and company.

Penro’s mother, Juanita Chandler, thanked the volunteers and others involved in giving her daughter’s family a place to call home.

“I want to thank you,” Chandler said. “You’ve been a blessing to my baby.”