Addie’s home has a lot of Habitat history even before she recently received repairs through the Home Preservation Program. Her home, built in 1988, was the 4th Habitat home built in Orange County. Growing up in the Northside neighborhood, she was excited to own a home and raise a family in the community.

At the time, homebuyers had to put in 700 sweat equity hours which she did on her and her neighbor across the streets home. Some volunteers who helped her were her co-workers and leadership at UNC Health Care where she worked in many roles but primarily as a CNA for 34 years before retiring in 2003. “I loved taking care of people and creating relationships with people. Patients would tell me when they’d be in the hospital so I could visit with them,” said Addie.

In recent years, it was Addie that needed caretaking herself after having trouble with her knee. She needed surgery, but knew that recovering at home would be difficult since her home was not wheelchair accessible. She needed a mobility ramp installed before she could be discharged, and that’s when she learned about Habitat’s Home Preservation Program and the Coming Home Healthy Partnership, a program that works with patients who need a ramp to access their home after a hospital stay.

“I’m an independent woman and like to do things for myself. When I was looking for someone to do the ramp, it was going to be $2,500 or move to a nursing home which I didn’t want to do,” said Addie. “Now I can get in and out of my home without help. I’m even able to get outside and get a little exercise.”

Funding for this repair and many of our 32 over the past year comes from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, UNC Health Care, and the Coming Home Healthy Parntership funded by Truist.