Chester County Leaders Come Together to Help Seniors Repair Their Homes

 

 

 

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS)  – Seniors in need of home repairs in the Chester County area need to look no further. Several organizations are coming together to help seniors make repairs big and small.

As Chester County’s population ages, more senior citizens are in need of home repairs and solutions that would help them age in their homes.

Responsible for public engagement and community outreach for the project, Angela Douglas says,  “It’s a small quaint community. A county of 30,000 to 32,000 people, and we do want to make sure that our seniors are taken care of.”

Community outreach groups like SC Uplift and Community Outreach are working with community partners to use a $1 million grant, through programs with the US Department of Agriculture and HUD, to assist adults 62 and older with their housing needs.

SC Uplift and Community Outreaches President and CEO, Kevin Wimberly, says, “We have been able to assess seniors, individuals who are meeting income requirements and are the owner of their homes, doing those repairs that are so desperately needed — which they can’t afford. Roof repair, heating and air units, electrical, flooring, things of that nature.”

These partners are looking to help at least 10 seniors in this community age in place as safely and independently as possible.

“And we will utilize our partnering organizations. I-58 which is a local non-profit here in Chester, who will be overseeing the operations of the program and then utilizing Sweet 65 LLC, they will be going in and doing the home assessments,” says Wimberly.

Here are some of the homes the organization has repaired. In addition to assessing seniors home needs an occupational therapist will also perform a health physical to see what else is needed like ramps, shower bars, guard rails and more.

Leslie Brakefield with I-58, says, “There’s three requirements. You have to be an owner and occupant of the home, you have to be 62 years or older and then there’s an income limit that you have to be below.”

Chester’s leaders say the seniors they work with are always appreciative.

“It’s a joy to be able to bring these kinds of programs and work with these fine partners to make sure that we not only provide for our neighbors, but we’re also able to love them from the beginning to the end,” says Douglas.

In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with community leaders who are coming together to improve the homes and lives of seniors.

 

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