Sylvester grew up in North Carolina but moved to New York in search of a job with benefits. Before he left, he bought some land near other family members knowing he and his wife, Rebell, would come back one day.
In 1976 they did just that. Sylvester and Rebell moved back and built a house of their own on the land they had purchased years before. It was in that house they raised their four daughters and made it a home.
Sylvester worked for a local sign company for many more years before retiring. The couple's four daughters are all grown up and Sylvester is now the primary caregiver for his wife, who has dementia. It was their dream to build a home and he wants nothing more than to be able to keep his wife there.
But Sylvester is 84 and their dream home is more than 40 years old. Improvements are needed for Sylvester and his wife to safely age-in-place. The windows are worn and leaking. The bathroom floor is so weak the toilet is falling through the floor.
A social worker referred Sylvester to WARM NC and he was optimistic about getting the needed repairs to his home. Volunteers have already completed some of the work to make sure the couple can remain safe in their home.
Sylvester’s daughter said having the volunteers around was good for her father and she noticed he seemed to have extra energy. He loves to do yard work so when the volunteers were tackling the yard, Sylvester jumped right in to help and was very motivated by the whole experience.
As a WARM supporter, you are making this happen for Sylvester and Rebell. Thank you!