Home provides a strong sense of security and comfort, especially for older adults. Through our Aging in Place program, Greater Matthews Habitat assists older adults in maintaining their homes as they age, just like Elizabeth, who has cherished her home for 21 years and intends to spend her golden years there.
Elizabeth's home holds a treasure trove of memories, especially from when her children were younger and the neighborhood kids gathered in her kitchen. She fondly recounted a particular memory of one of her son's friends rushing to her home right after the sidewalk had been freshly poured with concrete. “He was about 7 or 8, and they had just put the cement in the sidewalk. He didn’t know it was wet. And he came running with excitement, and you can see his footprints.” When the boy apologized, Elizabeth reassured him, saying, “Look. I’ll have a memory of this day! When you, in excitement, came to my home to see the building of it! I said it’s okay. They faded away, but it’s a memory I hold dear to.”
Now, with her children grown and no longer living with her, Elizabeth is determined to continue creating new memories in her cherished home. When an aging and leaky roof became a challenge, she turned to our Critical Home Repair program, which replaced her roof at no cost to her, eliminating her worry over the financial burden of replacing it.
By partnering with Habitat, Elizabeth’s cherished memories are preserved, and she has a newfound sense of security and peace of mind. Aging in place prevents older adults like Elizabeth from being displaced and left with no other affordable housing options, ensuring they can continue to call their homes their own. “It just gave me a sense of, like a burden was taken off my shoulders…wondering how when that time comes, how I am going to afford it. And then God sends Habitat. I’m very blessed. Very, very blessed. It’s just something I have less to be worried about as a retired, elderly senior.”