Social Mission: Home Works of America

AT FIG, WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF A COMMUNITY
that works together to identify needs and find solutions—one that creates connections and is passionate about helping its neighbors. For our 2020 Social Mission partner, we’ve chosen Home Works of America, an impactful non-profit whose good works contribute to our thriving, local community.
Home Works of America has been providing free home repairs to elderly, disabled, and veteran homeowners in our community and throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia for 24 years. They use a model of student volunteer workforce, application verification, and quality compassionate construction to provide the needed repairs. Reliant upon the generous donations of individuals, corporations, churches, and foundations, 92.4% of every donated dollar goes directly to funding the repair costs of the homes.
In 2019, Home Works of America had their biggest year yet, completing 174 home repairs.
The unseen side of the work that Home Works of America completes goes
beyond the home repairs, the new roof, or the custom built ramp into the home. What isn’t immediately seen is the lasting, and far reaching, impact that these repairs have for the home, the homeowner, and the homeowner’s family. The average demographic of an assisted homeowner is a 76 year old African American woman, who annually lives on $12,000 or less.
Prior to a Home Works repair, the average remaining life expectancy of
a home is just 0–3 years, and after a repair, it’s extended to 7.5 to 15 years. This not only increases the affordable housing inventory, but it allows seniors to age in place to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal assisted living funds. These homes are often upgraded to have a higher energy efficiency, which saves the homeowner money that can then be used to purchase necessary medicine and food.
The health of the homeowner also greatly improves with the interaction with Home Works. Not only do the repairs address potentially dangerous safety situations and helps to avoid costly trips to the ER, but the social
interaction with the volunteers provides care and compassion these often isolated seniors do not receive on a regular basis. It boosts their mental
and emotional health, alongside their physical safety.
In addition, dividing inequality lines begin to disappear when neighbors begin helping out one another and when frustrations of cost burdened housing are erased through compassionate construction breaking the barriers for social mobility and economic justice.
The dividends that Home Works of America provides to our community
and our state are immeasurable—they help to solve the problems of affordable housing, workforce development, and racial inequality through their proven model of home repair.
Learn more about Home Works of America, the work that they do, and how you can make a donation to
their mission by visiting their website, homeworksofamerica.org, or by calling 803.781.4536.