Helping a longtime resident age in place
The place Sheila called home for nearly 70 years had a leaky roof and an inaccessible bathroom, but she lacked the finances to pay for the repairs herself. Habitat and Lowe’s helped Sheila repair her roof and bathroom, ensuring she can comfortably live in her beloved childhood home.
Sheila has lived in her childhood home in Franklin County, Virginia, since she was 7 years old. A leaky roof and an inaccessible bathroom, however, made it increasingly difficult to comfortably reside in the place she’s called home for nearly 70 years.
Sheila uses two canes for mobility, so navigating the tub made taking a shower challenging. Then, a crack made the tub unusable altogether. “Sometimes, I would go to my daughter-in-law’s to take a shower,” she says. Her roof was also deteriorating. Sheila first discovered a leak in her storage closet, but soon other areas of her roof started to leak.
The 75-year-old knew that if she wanted to remain in her treasured home and one day pass it on to her family, she would need to repair the roof and bathroom. But finances were tight for Sheila, who retired several years ago after a long career as a seamstress and local factory worker.
A friend told Sheila about Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County’s affordable home repair program, and she decided to apply to see if the program could help.
With funding support from Lowe’s, Habitat Franklin County helped Sheila build an accessible bathroom.
Working together to serve more families
Financial support from Lowe’s helped offset the cost of Sheila’s home repairs. “Lowe’s made Sheila’s repair achievable for us,” says Sheila Overstreet, Habitat Franklin County’s executive director. “Their grant helped us with the cost of her repair. Without that funding, we couldn’t do as many repairs as we’re performing in Franklin County.”
Since 2003, Lowe’s has donated more than US$92 million to Habitat. Their support over the past two decades has helped more than 18,000 families across more than 600 communities in the U.S., Canada and India improve their living conditions. In 2022 alone, 78 affiliates were able to complete 483 repair and community revitalization projects with the help of grants funded by Lowe’s.
“At Lowe’s, we know housing conditions are critical to the prosperity of families and communities,” says Julie Yenichek, Lowe’s senior director of community relations. “The critical home repair and rehabilitation projects we support with Habitat help families improve their homes and can help older adults with fixed incomes age in place with dignity.”
Preserving a lasting legacy
Habitat Franklin County replaced Sheila’s roof and remodeled the bathroom. The bathroom modifications — fixing a sunken-in floor, moving and replacing the toilet, and installing a walk-in shower with a seat — all made the home more accessible. Sheila’s hallway floor was also repaired to ensure the structure was stable.
Sheila calls her repairs “the best thing that ever happened. I don’t ever have to worry about the rain coming in the house. I don’t have to worry about my shower. I don’t have to worry about anything,” Sheila says.
Helping a longtime resident age in place
