Edward J. is a 77-year young Marine Corps Veteran.   He served during the Vietnam era as a Logistics Supply Clerk.   He received a rifle marksman badge during his service in Honolulu, Hawaii.  His father integrated and retired from the Navy as well.   After four years of service, he was retired as a disabled veteran.

As a young man, his family relocated from Pennsylvania to Norfolk, VA.   He was part of the first class of high school students to integrate the Norfolk, VA school system.  He is part of the Norfolk 17.

The Norfolk segregationist school board eventually relented and made a decision to admit African American students if they were able to pass an admissions exam and go through entrance interviews. As a result of this ruling seventeen students were admitted into all-white schools on February 2, 1959.

After his service time, he graduated from Norfolk State University with an Industrial Education degree.   He has worked at Westinghouse, Honeywell and retired from Coca-Cola.

He has seven children, nineteen grandchildren and one great grand.

He purchased his home in 1999.   We have identified several needed repair items.

• Interior /Exterior painting
• Replace rotting garage door
• Install flooring (concrete and wood sub-floor exposed throughout home)
• Replace damaged kitchen counter
• Replace leaking faucets (kitchen)
• Replace inoperable gas stove
• Insulate front and rear door frames
• Replace gutter guards
• Replace rotten facia/siding

Left Side View (Before) - Edward J.

Left Side View (After) - Edward J.

Rear View (Before) - Edward J.

Rear View (After) - Edward J.

Right Side View (Before) - Edward J.

Ride Side View (After) - Edward J.

Front View (Before) - Edward J.

Lillian I. is a former Navy spouse and has spent most of her adult life traveling and taking care of her kids. She and her ex-husband were stationed in Athens, Greece, Charleston, SC, Norfolk, VA, Chicago, IL, Rhode Island, and San Diego, CA.  She was born in Providence, Rhode Island and has one son (Atlanta Police Officer) and one daughter (Educator).  She also has 16 grandchildren, and two live with her in the home.  Lillian has been in Georgia for 30 years and loves the community.

She considers raising her kids and spending time with her grandkids to be the highlight of her life.  She is completely devoted to her family. She recently had to bury her nephew that caused considerable grief.  However, she is encouraged when she spends time with her younger grandchildren.

She likes her neighbors and is familiar with most of them.  She is an active church member and spends most of her free time at there. She considers her friends at church her “family.”

Her house is paid for, but she does not like the headache that comes with the upkeep of her home.

We have identified several critical home repairs that will allow her to age in place safely at their home.   Here are a few:

• HVAC Heating/AC Unit replacement
• Roof repair
• Exterior front railing
• Transition tiles in master bedroom/bath
• Replacement of water heater
• Replace deck boards
• Kitchen sink leaking
• Front and back porch steps need to repair to proper height
• Mater bath toilet loose
• Adding grab bars in bathrooms

Dennis C. is an active 67-year young Vietnam Veteran.  He was born in Memphis, TN.   He served in the Army from July 1974- August 1977 with the 101st Airborne in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.    He was trained as a 51N20 which is a Water Purification Specialist.    His unit was called the Screaming Eagles.

After his service, he moved to New York City and raised a son and daughter as a single father.  He became a Computer Technician (which is now considered an engineer) for NCR and Digital Equipment Corporation.   During his career, he was sought out often as the technician of choice and awarded the best technician in his area three years in a row.

He married his life partner - Ms. Geneva and moved to Stone Mountain, GA.

He was diagnosed with PTSD and has been declared totally and permanently disabled due to his service.     He does not keep that diagnosis from keeping him busy.     He became a member of the Job Corps to get trained as an automobile technician and was trained how to overhaul engines and transmissions.  At one point, he called himself the “Mobile Mechanic”.    He still tinkers with cars and does his best to do projects around his home.

We have identified several critical home repairs that will allow them to age in place safely at their home.   Here are a few:

• Roof repair
• Replacement of water tank
• Gas water heater relocated
• Front and back porch steps need to repair to proper height
• Adding grab bars in bathrooms
• Bath vents are inoperable need replacing
• Screened in porch leaks

Joyce G. is a former Army Veteran and is originally from Saginaw, Michigan. She was born the youngest of 12 siblings (three are still living) and was raised in a small house on 10^th Street in Saginaw.  Her mother talked her into joining the Army and had basic training in Fort McClennan in Alabama, with time spent at Fort Lee in Virginia, and Fort Carson in Colorado, where her sons (Demitri-34, and Nathaniel-33) were born.  She got out of the Army in 1989 right before Desert Storm. Upon leaving the Army, she returned to Michigan and eventually to Augusta, Georgia and then to Atlanta.  She worked s a Medical Assistant for DeKalb Medical in a variety of administrative roles at the hospital and urgent care facility.

She purchased her home in 1999, and has enjoyed her community. Joyce’s daughter Zamia was born in 2004 and now attends Jackson State University majoring in Biology.  She left DeKalb Medical in 2004 and went to work for General Motors in 2005.  She officially retired in 2010 and has kept herself busy taking care of her grandchildren. Joyce is presently dealing with medical challenges such as Lupus, Carpal tunnel, and Thyroid issues.

She spends most of her time playing Bingo where most of her friends attend.

She likes her neighbors and is familiar with most of them.

We have identified several critical home repairs that will allow her to age in place safely at their home.   Here are a few:

• Replace Roof
• Exterior front railing
• Repair leaks in the water heater
• Replace electrical sockets
• Master bathroom shower is leaking
• Grab bars at garage entrance/exit
• Handrail in kitchen
• Replace bedroom light fixtures
• Replace bedroom doors

Walter T. is an active 81-year young Army Veteran.  He was born in Shorter, AL.   He served in the Army from January 1964- January 1970 LB #44 Tuskegee Alabama unit.  He was transferred to Anchorage, AK as a foot soldier and completed his service in Fort Polk, LA as a tank driver.

After his service, he, and his wife of 56 years, Vernita, relocated to Decatur, Ga.   They raised one son and two daughters in this home we are providing repairs for today.   They have been in this same home for 45 years.   They have 9 grandchildren and 16 grandchildren for whom they want to leave this home as a legacy.

Walter retired from General Motors after 22 years of service.

Vernita considers herself a serial entrepreneur while her focus was raising her children.   She has worked as a teletypist, in-home care personnel, waitress, medical receptionist and ran her own nursery/daycare in her home for a while.   She retired as an in-home care professional after injuring her back lifting a patient; however, she didn’t hesitate to provide this care for her sick sister who lived with them for many years and recently passed away.

We have identified several critical home repairs that will allow them to age in place safely at their home.   Here are just a few:

• Front deck needs repair and add handrails
• Install grab bars in bathrooms
• Repair rotten floor in bathroom and adhere toilet securely
• Install handrails leading down to basement
• Water leak in bathroom

Replace back porch that is unusable and unsafe

Louise G. is an 84-year young native Atlanta.    She was born at home in 1938.   Her family was from the Flakes Mill area and she grew up in what was known as the County Line section of DeKalb County.   Her family, more specially, her brother served as the brick mason for her home and many of the homes in her neighborhood.   Her 90-year-young sister lives very close by in one of those homes well.

She remembers when the area was nothing much but vacant land and cotton fields.    She grew up at a time when schools were segregated, and notes being bused to Hamilton High in Scottdale - the only high school for black students in DeKalb County at the time.

She made a living as a maid, a warehouse worker and eventually retired after 24 years as a school bus driver.  She was blessed with 4 children, 2 who are still living, one transitioned in 2008 and an infant pass away at 3 months old in 1957.

She is an admitted packrat, has vertigo and loves to play solitaire.

She lives in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home.   She contacted us requesting assistance regarding an unsafe bathroom floor and sheetrock repair.

Our estimated scope of work will include the following:

• Replace furnace that was installed in 1979
• Install safety grab bars in bathroom and side door to porch
• Install comfort height commode
• Replace sheetrock ceiling in hallway
• Replace furnace vent in floor/Safety hazard
• Remove gutters
• Repair rotten facia
• Paint exterior windows frames and soffits
• Replace rotting windowsill and brick molding
• Repair bathroom floor

Stacie M. is a Desert Shield Veteran.   After her active duty, she re-enlisted in the Army Reserves for an additional 6 years.

She is a single mother raising two young daughters.   She has been diagnosed with PTSD, diabetes and depression.

She purchased her home in 1992 and has been able to keep up with most of the required maintenance.  The home is attractive, appears will maintained and is neat inside.   Unfortunately, she has been a victim of some shady contractors who were hired to repair the floor joists in her home.   As part of our repair, we will have to replace and shore up the support beams, support footings and floor joists and replace the flooring.  The security door is not tall enough and was not properly installed.

The roof shingles were replaced in 2010; however, they are now peeling/sticking up the end of the shingles.   There is no ridge vent to allow for air flow as well.

Stacie was laid off during COVID-19 do to lack of work at previous employer.

John R. is an 82-year young Army Veteran.   He was born in Memphis, TN.   He served in the Army from July 1962 – July 1965 with the 82^nd Airborne in Ft. Bragg.   His job was a working with heavy artillery equipment, and he also served as a Paratrooper.   He completed 30 jumps during the day and 5 jumps at night.   He believes these jumps contributes to his difficulty walking now.

He has been married for 38 years and has 3 children, two boys and one girl (who surprised them late in life and will be 28 this year).    His wife currently suffers from dementia and Alzheimer, and he is her full-time caregiver.

He shared that he was one block away from the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was shot at the time.   They heard the shot and thought it was maybe kids playing with firecrackers but realized they only heard one shot.   He marched with the garbage works in Memphis and was present for Dr. Kings  “I Have a Dream” speech.

After serving in the Army, he worked at the post office for a few years but by a chance meeting he ended up being the limo driver for Isaac Hayes (the singer) for 13 years.    He is the designer of the 24k gold plated car that Mr. Hayes had and is currently displayed at the Staxx Museum in Memphis, Tn.  He traveled the countryside with Mr. Hayes until his first child was born.   His family settled in Atlanta, and he remains in that same house.   After leaving Mr. Hayes employment, he worked three jobs to support his family – truck driver, a service station attendant, and General Electric.

We have identified a number of critical home repairs needed for John (outside of the roof) and we would be able to stretch our current funding to address those items if we can get the roof replaced through the Owens Corning program.    The floor joist are rotting/sinking and the HVAC (dated 1999) does not work well and needs to be replaced and removal of a tree that is encroaching on the home.