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.