A Pinellas County family received the gift of a lifetime Tuesday when they were handed the keys to their very own home.
- Ernest family moved here from St. Petersburg
- Tradewinds, Habitat helped them get home
- 300 construction efforts behind home effort
It was all thanks to Habitat for Humanity and Tradewinds Inc.
The Ernest family moved to St. Petersburg from Haiti to pursue the American dream. Jean and Marie Ernest found work at TradeWinds Island Resort to support their three children.
TradeWinds Inc. is a sponsor of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County and signed on to help the Ernest family have a home and a sense of stability.
"We love what Habitat tries to do and it's a wonderful fit for us because we have so many people working at TradeWinds that we can really benefit," TradeWinds Inc. CEO Tim Bogott said. "We can work together to help them own a home."
The family said they are forever grateful for the community support.
"This is a dream come true because when I see this house, I just feel like I'm in heaven," 8-year-old Whetley Ernest said.
This is the third Habitat Pinellas build sponsored by TradeWinds over the past two years.
In addition to providing funding for the home, TradeWinds employees invested more than 300 construction hours.