On a mission: Volunteers help in a Rebuilding Together Alexandria project. Photo Contributed
The eyes are what catch your attention first … compassionate and all-knowing. These are the eyes of an 85-year-old grandmother who is thoughtful and willing to share her wisdom.
Eileen grew up in Norfolk but has lived in Alexandria for many years, where she raised eight children — four of her own, two of her sister’s children, and two of her grandchildren. She and her husband worked hard to care for these children and give them a good life. In fact, she worked nights as a shipping clerk and lead stamp operator but was able to be home to make her children breakfast before school and prepare dinner before she left again for work.
Her husband has passed now and her days raising children are over, but she still has great advice for young people: “Get a good education, take your time, and find a good mate.” She adds, “My granddaughter always says ‘what does he bring to the table,’ but I tell her ‘Well, what do you bring to the table.’”
In addition to dispensing wise advice, Eileen keeps busy by going to the senior center every day. She can often be found crocheting blankets for her grandchildren in the favorite place in her house — a recliner that her children gave her.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, Eileen shares that she is thankful for her family and her wonderful neighbors who look after her and leave her treats, such as biscuits and nut bread. She is also grateful to be living in her long-time home, which she credits in part to Rebuilding Together Alexandria volunteers who put safety bars in her bathroom, added a kitchen cabinet, fixed outside steps, added a basement light, and installed a chairlift to allow more accessibility to the only bathroom in the home.
With a twinkle in her eyes, she recalls the large numbers of Rebuilding Together volunteers that fixed her home, commenting: “They all came busting out, jumping around … my goodness, I couldn’t believe it!” She mentioned she could only ask so much of her children and was so grateful to Rebuilding Together Alexandria, which works to preserve housing affordability and revitalize the Alexandria community by providing free home repairs.
These type of upgrades are important since most of our clients are homeowners who live near the poverty level. By improving their housing conditions, we can help them remain active members of their neighborhood and in turn help our city remain economically, socially and culturally diverse.
If you know someone like Eileen who could benefit from our services, we encourage you to introduce them to us. To learn more, visit www.rebuildingtogetheralex.org or call 703-836-1021.