Giving back to Ms. Green
My home is a symbol of my independence and freedom.
Alberta Green - homeowner and community advocate
Ms. Alberta Green has lived in her home for over 14 years. She is a familiar face within the Dunlap neighborhood. Community spirit and togetherness are the pillars of her quiet neighborhood. Ms. Green spends a great deal of her downtime in her home, reading Greek mythology, adding to her novel collection, and practicing her knitting skills. She loves to cook diverse cuisines but is known for having the best beans in her neighborhood. When she is out in the city, she loves to take trips to Fairmount Park, go out to eat, and swim at Kelly Pool on Parkside and Girard.
Ms. Green has always been a woman with community spirit. Giving back stems from her childhood and working years when Ms. Green was first known for being a powerful voice for vulnerable populations. She loves to give back to her community through food drives, volunteering in community clean-ups, and filling student backpacks with supplies for the school season. For over 15 years, she advocated for women and children who didn’t have a steady home, and in her later years has turned her focus to runaway teens, finding them a nurturing home.
Ms. Green’s home has required major repairs for many years; however, she hasn’t been able to afford the cost of the needed work. Rebuilding Together Philadelphia changed all that: “The overall process was fun; RTP [carpenters] and [sub]contractors were nice and very respectable. I like that they always keep their word. They did the work and cleaned up after themselves, showing respect for my home and me.” RTP provided critical repairs both inside and out including major kitchen renovations: cabinets, countertop, sink, and oven range hood to name a few. When RTP volunteers came to her home, they installed new handrails for her basement, new kitchen floors, and placed fire extinguishers throughout the house. All this and an occupational therapy assessment so Ms. Green can live with maximum independence and remain in her beloved home.
“Finally, my house is looking the way I wanted it to.” [...] “Thank you to Matt for guiding me through the process and to Shuja for signing me up for this program. RTP has been a huge help to me. My home is a symbol of my independence and freedom. Seventy years of living how I want to live; I am not planning on having any assisted living for as long as possible.” Ms. Green has no plans on leaving her newly renovated home and the quiet neighborhood she loves.
*Matt Treat, RTP
**Shuja Moore, The Enterprise Center
