Arnold woman opens The Battle Life, a transitional living home for women in the fights of their lives
An Arnold woman is remembering a friend who lost her battle as she prepares to help other women who are still fighting their own.
Amanda Wheeler on Sunday celebrated the soft opening of The Battle Life, her transitional living home, which she is dedicating to her friend, Jon’Trae “JT” Mathis.
A native of the Vandergrift area, Mathis was 31 when she died by suicide in Florida in May 2024.
“Losing a close childhood friend, someone who was like a sister to me, opened my eyes,” Wheeler said before cutting a ribbon symbolizing the opening of her home. “That kind of loss shakes your soul. It reminds me that life is worth living. I made a promise to myself that no matter what, I’m going to keep going and I’m going to go for every person and every women who decides that they want better for their life.”
Wheeler’s home will be for women who are 24 and older and coming out of homelessness, abusive relationships or other challenging life circumstances. They would live there for at least six months and up to two years.
She will begin a waiting list for women interested in living there on Tuesday, and anticipates operating by the end of July.
While ultimately planning to house up to five women at a time, Wheeler said she’ll limit it to four for at least a year while she lives in the house to make sure it’s running smoothly. After that, the fifth resident would take over as a house manager.
Wheeler is a certified health and life coach with a background in health care and nursing. Services at the home will include job placement help, life skills development, resume building and counseling.
She also plans to offer health and life coaching services to men and women 13 and older, using a detached garage behind the house as an office.
She is collaborating with Lost Dreams Awakening, a New Kensington-based nonprofit community organization addressing substance abuse and mental health recovery.
Lost Dreams Awakening co-founder Laurie Johnson-Wade said they’ll support the women living in Wheeler’s home free of charge, providing anything they need that her organization can provide.
Johnson-Wade said she’ll also be there to help Wheeler.
“I envision maybe a little bit of mentorship. We’ve been at this a long time,” she said. “I can be a sounding board for her. Obstacles will arise. She has an excellent attitude. She’s motivated. If she needs us, we’ll help. I want her to succeed. We certainly have a need for this.”
Wheeler’s grandmother, Cassandra Houser, was beaming with pride.
“She’s put a lot of hard work, a lot of time and a lot of love into it,” she said. “I know it’s going to be successful because she’s very dedicated.”
Wheeler said she was forced to separate herself from Mathis. Her friend would get into trouble and refused to get help or said she didn’t know how to get help. Mathis moved to live with her mother in Florida, believing a new environment would be the best way to change.
“I lived a wild life. I made mistakes, I learned hard lessons and I felt the kind of emptiness that only comes when you’ve hit rock bottom. But let me tell you, that’s where real change begins,” Wheeler said. “As you get older, your perspectives change. The parties fade, the music stops and life starts knocking louder — bills, responsibilities, losses, struggles. Suddenly you realize you’re not just living for yourself. You’re living for what’s ahead and what the future holds.”
Asked what she’d believe Mathis would think of what she is doing now, Wheeler said, “I think she would be proud.”
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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