St. Luke’s choristers thanked for Atlanta event participation

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta was delighted to recently welcome eight brilliant Choristers from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury for its Second Annual Chorister Festival. The festival was under the direction of Bryan Zaros, associate director of music at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, and also featured the world premiere of a new composition by international concert organist and former St. John the Divine organist Dorothy Papadakos. Thank you to everyone in Salisbury who supported this opportunity for these talented young singers to participate. I am grateful to stay connected to this beautiful community through music and treasured friends.

— Matthew Michael Brown
Atlanta, Georgia

Local groups provide home repair for elderly

Fall is a time for home repairs, to prepare our homes for safety and security. If you are blessed with a family member or neighbor who is handy, then minor repairs are done quickly and without much cost.

If your income barely covers basic living expenses, then your options for paying for minor home repairs are limited. And if you are an older adult with limited mobility, then even changing an overhead lightbulb becomes a safety hazard.

Of the Rowan County adults aged 60 and older, many live with a disability, live alone, and have an income only meeting basic needs. It is projected the county’s population of adults aged 75 to 84 will increase 77 percent in the next 20 years. These are the older adults in need of home repair services who either cannot afford the costs, are unable to find a reputable contractor, or need an advocate to assist them with repairs to keep their homes safe and livable.

To meet this need, Rufty-Holmes Senior Center partners (RHSC) with Rowan County United Way, N.C. Baptist Aging Ministry, and many volunteers to offer a Home Repair Program for Rowan County adults 55 years and older. Volunteers and contractors build ramps, build and repair handrails, install grab bars, repair leaky plumbing, contract for pest remediation, trim overgrown landscape and haul items to the landfill.

RHSC receives 2-4 calls weekly from older adults who need assistance completing often minor repairs, which would have a positive impact on the safety of their home. Moving to safer housing is often not an option. Subsidized Senior Housing in Rowan County is very limited and waiting lists are years long. Rental unit costs are prohibitive for older adults with limited incomes.

Older adults prefer to stay in the homes and neighborhoods where they live and feel community. The HOME Repair program’s donors, staff, volunteers and workers assist our county’s older adults to live safe, healthy, and independent lives in the homes and neighborhood they love. Thanks to Rowan County United Way’s partner grant, Rufty-Holmes Senior Center can begin to meet the need for safe, affordable housing for older adults in Rowan County. If you are handy with minor repairs, please call the senior center to learn ways you can volunteer.

In this month of Thanksgiving, please give to Rowan County United Way’s annual campaign. Funds raised help support 21 local programs, which address mental health, substance use, healthy lifestyle behaviors and basic needs. Donate at www.rowanunitedway.org or call 704-633-1802. You may also stop by their offices or the senior center to get a donation form. Rowan County’s older adults will be blessed by your giving and thank you for the gift of a safe, secure home.

— Nan Buehrer
Executive director, Rufty-Holmes Senior Center