Having lived in Greene for more than 20 years, Mark and Pamela began to experience significant health issues that threatened their ability to stay in their home. Battling type II diabetes, Mark lost his sight and now needs to undergo dialysis 3 times per week. To support Mark, Pamela became his full time caretaker, after herself recently completing chemotherapy for stage II breast cancer. Unable to work, the couple has been forced to live off of Social Security with help from their grown daughter, Elizabeth, who has also moved in to assist them.
Prideful and independent, Pamela had been reluctant to reach out for help, but her friend Jeff Fletcher from Legacy Church intervened with a helping hand and connected the Kanavels to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville Greene County repair team. The all-volunteer team surveyed the home and conducted a bevy of repairs to improve safety and accessibility: a brand new ramp, basement door repair, exterior hardscaping, and porch reinforcement.
“Things don’t happen by accident!’ said Jeff. “I don’t know what the almighty is planning from one day to the next. That’s what happened with this. There was a need…I happened to be the one that started it this time. That’s from God; that’s not from me.”
This year, Habitat is intensifying its Critical Home Repair efforts. An aging population in Greene and Louisa means that the need to correct accessibility issues from unsafe decks, porches, and stairs is greater than ever. With donor support and dedicated volunteer crews, we are planning 20 repairs this year.
“God has shown me that to admit to weakness and helplessness, to ask for help is courage and bravery, not failure,” Pamela shares.