Aging in Place program helps local homeowners

Posted Tuesday, November 22, 2022 6:20 am

By ALLEN MINCEY

Freeda Davis admits she doesn’t move around as well as she did in her younger years, and some normal activities are difficult for her. Now, with the help of Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland’s newest program, she will be able to have a much easier time doing so.

Habitat developed Housing Plus, a comprehensive aging-in-place strategy to help aging adults continue to live in their homes by performing affordable home repairs. Aging in Place is the program that helps with person-specific home repairs and modifications such as installing grab bars to building a ramp. The work is done by local contractors.

In Davis’ case, she was desperately in need of a walk-in shower, and since she was well-known to the organization as a former Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland home recipient, they knew of her need, and wanted to help.

“I’ve been here 11 years, and I love my house,” Davis told the Cleveland Daily Banner as work was being done on her new shower. “I thank Habitat for the help, and Lowe’s too.”

Lowe’s is a Habitat for Humanity supporter, and helps with the Aging in Place program which will benefit not only Davis, but a neighbor who recently had a railing on his front porch installed for his safety.

“It will be a walk-in shower with grab bars and a shower seat,” said Bethany Souza, a United Way of the Ocoee Region VISTA and Aging in Place coordinator for Habitat. She said Davis, having to use a walker most of the time, will have a much safer time utilizing the shower than her present situation.

Souza said that when the Aging in Place program launched, Davis was one of the first to apply.

Davis met all of the qualifications: owning and living in her home full time; owning no other property; is at least 60 years old; has the home in Bradley County; her mortgage and property taxes are current; and the household income falls within 60% of the AMI (Area Median Income). 

Being included in the Aging in Place program was somewhat a surprise to Davis, but not like her first connection with Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland.

“I never realized that I would be able to get a Habitat house … that was just a dream,” she remembered. “Well, next thing I knew, they were calling me to get the loan application filled out with the finances and all of that.

“Habitat is not a handout, but a hand up, but I kept thinking, there’s no way … I can’t get a house. Well, it became a reality.” Davis was the 81st recipient of a Habitat for Humanity home in Bradley County.

Now, through Aging in Place, the walk-in shower is also a reality. It was completed by Montgomery Showers.

“This is really the first program I've heard like this because a lot of people need it,” said Rusty Jones of Montgomery Showers, who with his wife, Carol, installed the new walk-in shower in one day. “This is a big step forward.”

Davis said she would have to wait a day or two before being able to use the shower, but once it all settles, she would definitely enjoy taking a shower in her newly renovated bathroom.

“We really appreciate the partnership we have with Lowe’s with this program,” Souza said, adding that Lowe’s is also helpful in other Habitat projects such as building homes in the local area. The latest Habitat project is a quadplex for four families in Morelock Meadows, near Blythe-Bower Elementary School.

Souza also noted that other homeowners who meet the criteria that may not be Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland recipients can apply for the Aging in Place program.

To find out more about the Aging in Place program, and about Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland, visit the organization’s website at www.habitatofcleveland.org or check out its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clevelandhabitat.

Habitat home 'tremendous blessing' for family

Posted Friday, October 14, 2022 12:52 pm

By ALLEN MINCEY, Cleveland Daily Banner

The Cullins family — James and Jessica, and their children (Jaheaven, Jahalen, Ju’sayaus and Jaliyssa — will be moving into their new Habitat home following the dedication ceremony held Monday, and will carry with them the memory of another son — Jaheim — who will also be a part of the new residence.

Dedication of the new home in Morelock Meadows was held Monday morning under what Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland Executive Director Tammy Johnson said “was the best weather we have had … not too hot, not too cold, and not raining.” Several responsible for helping build the new home were in attendance at the dedication.

The Cullins family have been living in a three-bedroom home, which Jessica had said was “kind of scrunched.” The new home will allow for more room, as well as being within walking distance of Blythe-Bower Elementary School, where most of the children will attend.

“It is a tremendous blessing to be able to be a part of Habitat,” said Jessica Cullins at the dedication. “This right here (the home) is going to be a tremendous blessing to my family and to my kids.

“We have a safe place, a place where we can worship, a place where I can grow my kids up in the right way,” she continued. “We are very excited and the location is perfect. I have three that go over to Blythe-Bower, and one at Cleveland Middle.”

Jessica told those in attendance being selected to be the newest Habitat homeowner can at a rough time for her family, but at the right time.

“In 2018, I lost my son (Jaheim), so when we got that letter that said we could come and start the process, it was a blessing,” Jessica said. “It was a light at the end of this tunnel. It’s for (Jaheim) too, and we will carry him on for the rest of our lives.”

In fact, as the structure was being built, Jessica made sure photos of Jaheim were placed in the walls so he would be “a part of the home.”

“I put his picture inside the wall before they sealed it up,” Jessica said.

The Cullins have put in nearly 400 hours of “sweat equity,” with Jessica working mostly at the home build, and James at the Habitat ReStore.

“While I was working nights, I would let her come and do the build part of it, which kept her involved in it,” James Cullins explained. “I would let her come up here at the house while I slept.

“We work together on everything,” he noted.

Johnson told those attending the dedication Jessica became so handy with building tools that she was showing others how to work at the home.

Several who took part in the building of the Cullins' new home were present at the dedication, and spoke of being so fortunate to be a part of the build, and of helping the family they grew to know and love.

Those speaking included Charlotte Peak representing the Ocoee Region Builders Association; Corey Divel of the Habitat Board of Directors; Karen Colley of the local Chick-fil-A (which Johnson said provided close to half of the funding for the home); and Mark Gluckner, who served as the homeowner advocate for the family. Pastor Bob Zwarych once again performed the Litany of Dedication and presented the family with a Bible.

James added that he and his wife will be able to help in the next phase of Habitat homes being built in Morelock Meadows. The next project at the site will be a four-family quadplex, the first to be constructed for Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland.

“Jeff would be so proud of the work that has been done, and if you knew Jeff, he was a very quiet, behind-the-scenes mover and shaker and he did a lot for our Habitat families and a lot for our community,” Johnson said of Jeff Morelock, a longtime Habitat supporter and namesake for the Morelock Meadows development. “His memory continues to motivate us to do even more.”

Christmas comes early to Habitat

Posted Tuesday, October 4, 2022 4:00 pm

By ALLEN MINCEY, Cleveland Daily Banner

With the recent arrival of October, Christmas may be the furtherest thing on people’s minds, but not at Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland’s ReStore.

Deborah Flower, coordinator of the the Christmas section of the ReStore, aided by her husband, are Habitat Heroes and annually gather a group of volunteers to decorate Christmas trees and set up displays at “The Christmas Shoppe.” She and those volunteers began putting out the Christmas items as early as mid-September.

Flower, who is a retired kindergarten teacher, volunteers for this event, but it turns out to be not just a seasonal “job,” but a year-round endeavor.

“I have done this since 2010 and I am known as ‘the Christmas Lady,’ though ‘Holiday Lady’ is probably more appropriate as I am in charge of every holiday that comes down the pike,” Flower said.

Trees, lights and decorations are not the only holiday items the Habitat ReStore has available. There are also Christmas wreaths, linens, clothes, knickknacks, yard art, candles, china and glassware.

Flower said preparing for Christmas begins almost immediately as that holiday ends, as she begins collecting ornaments and other items that many will donate to the ReStore after having them on display for the current season.

“I separate all holiday-themed items from the everyday donations throughout the year,” she said. “The items are then cleaned, organized and placed in separate totes according to the holiday.”

All of the holiday items are stored in two semitrailer rigs behind the rear of the store at 300 Grove Ave. SW and get pulled out around as the summer ends and fall begins.

A shopper at the ReStore might find items for Valentine’s Day, Easter or Fourth of July, though the biggest holiday for shoppers there is Christmas.

“All year long, I have saved unique and special Christmas decorations and once a year, I have some creative friends come and decorate the trees,” she said.

This past week, friends from the Ridgewood Subdivision — Mary Ellen Stinchfield and Pat Love — came and helped Flower with tree decorations. Flower also celebrates the holiday in the subdivision each year, usually dressed as Lady Liberty with her husband, who often portrays Uncle Sam.

A couple of weeks before, volunteers from Candies Creek Baptist Church helped at what is commonly called “Deb’s Winter Wonderland.”

All of the items for sale have been donated to Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland to help fund home-building projects, and each year staff, customers and volunteers look forward to the holiday.

“Everyone has the opportunity to give a ‘hands up’ for hope in our community by using their skills through such volunteer efforts,” Flower said. “All proceeds are put toward a house for a deserving homeowner.”

In fact, the most recent homeowners — the Cullins family — will have their new home in Morelock Meadows dedicated on Oct. 10. It will be the first in that new subdivision, which also will include a quad to house four families, and other subsequent homes to be built in 2023.

“Deb’s Christmas Shoppe,” Flower said, “brings in people who would not normally come to the ReStore, as they can find Christmas decorations cheaper here than in other stores.” It also give those shoppers an idea of the other bargains at the ReStore.

For more information about the Christmas items available and ReStore, call 423-473-4610. To find out more about Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland, visit www.habitatofcleveland.org.