“Daniel”, a Avery county resident, suffers from seizures, arthritis, migraines and high blood pressure. He had to leave his home for a time to take care of his health and upon returning discovered his home had been vandalized. The copper line running between his oil tank and the heating monitor was stolen. There was a wood stove in the home, but it was not safe and could have resulted in CO2 poisoning or a fire. Because of the flexibility of the Healthy Homes Initiative funds, our agency was able to replace the fuel so he could safely warm his home.
The Johnsons' Story
The “Johnsons” are an older couple living in Avery county. "Doris” is providing care for her husband who is gravely ill. During the in-home assessment, she insisted on providing grapes to the agency staff as it was the only fresh food she had in the home. She had purchased the grapes from a local food pantry. The couple relies on food boxes delivered to their home for nutrition. Healthy Homes Initiative funds were used to replace the front and back storm doors in their home as the existing doors allowed air to come in the home and were coming unhinged and dangerous to use. Doris said, “We are so blessed! I’m so glad that the cold air isn’t coming in around the door. We could have never afforded the services that were provided to us.”
Jada's Story
“Jada” is an elderly widow living alone in Avery county. A leaking window in her home allowed water to come in and damage the floor. The floor sagged and ready to collapse. The Healthy Homes Initiative funds were used to replace the window and repair the floor. Contractors donated a portion of their time to complete the work with the funds that were available. Jada said, “I am tickled to death and so appreciative. I just didn’t know where to turn for help.”
Ted and Patricia's Story
"Ted" and "Patricia" are a senior couple who provide a home for their 42-year-old son (who has cancer) and his three children in Avery county. Our agency first learned of the family when they asked for help paying for power so they wouldn't get disconnected due to not being able to pay their utility bill. When the family had no functioning heat, our agency discovered that 30 feral cats were living in the crawl space of the family home. The cats had destroyed much of the floor insulation and had damaged the duct work to the heat system. The smell of urine and feces made the air quality inside the home toxic. Healthy Homes Initiative funding was leveraged with funding from a Housing Preservation Grant to remove the cats, treat the space with hot thermal fog, and repair/replace floor insulation and ducts under the home. The family now has an environment with clean, safe air; and the heat system is working again to keep the family warm during the upcoming fall and winter season.
We are grateful to have a sponsor like BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina who invests in our communities, and so proud to have WAMY Community Action as part of our network! We couldn’t do this important work without them and their dedicated staff!
Want to Help People like Daniel, the Johnsons, Jada, Ted and Patricia?
Donate | We use your money to help run our programs, and provide training that helps organizations and individuals make their way to self-sufficiency. You can donate on our web page or find an agencies local to you.
Volunteer | We can’t do this alone. Join us! Find one of our agencies in your county and check out their website for volunteer opportunities.
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Partner with Us | We are humbled by the many non-profit and for-profit organizations that partner with us to bring services, educations and events to North Carolina. If your organization is looking for a non-profit to partner with, please consider us. Email us at info@nccaa.net. We would love to hear from you!