Volunteers Braved the Heat to Help a Neighbor Age Safely in Her Home

Fairlee, MD – Born and raised in Kent County, Mrs. Scott and her husband raised eight daughters locally. Like many senior citizens in the area, she had worked at the Campbell’s Soup poultry processing plant for several years. She then spent 21 years as Cook at the Chestertown jail where she recalls the men would sometimes ask as she was leaving, “when will you make your delicious fried chicken again?”. Mrs. Scott is now a widow and, in addition to her daughters, she relies on her neighbors and local church as she nears 90 and her mobility decreases. One of her daughters worked at the Department of Social Services and knew Rebuilding Together Kent County might be able to help her mom live more safely in her home, avoiding the costly and often isolating transition to an assisted living facility.

In December of 2020, Rebuilding Together Kent County used funds from their US Department of Agriculture Housing Preservation Grant to contract Alex Reyes of Custom Home Services to perform critical repairs to Mrs. Scott’s bathroom. In the course of his work, it came to light that the tub was draining directly into the crawl space and threatening the home’s foundation. After drying out the area, replacing several joists under the floor, and fixing all the plumbing, Alex proceeded to create a beautiful bathroom for Mrs. Scott, complete with new tile, tub, toilet and fixtures.