What are you most looking forward to when the October Build repairs on your home are complete?
“Everything! The painting will look nice and I’m happy the floors will be more stable.”
– Myrtle Carrie
Myrtle Carrie has lived in her Upper 9th Ward home since 1969 when she and her husband purchased it from a family friend. Before his passing in 2002, Carrie’s husband served 22 years in the Coast Guard, and the couple raised three kids in the home. Having been in the neighborhood for decades, Carrie is very close with her neighbors—one of them being her sister next door—and when asked what living in her neighborhood is like said “we’re all like family around here!”
Prior to retirement, Carrie was a ride operator and ticket attendant in City Park for 13 years, but was unable to return to work after Hurricane Katrina. In order to continue living safely in her home, she needs floor repairs that will dramatically decrease tripping hazards as she gets older, and a fresh coat of paint to help seal and weatherize the house.
Besides the occasional trip to Lakeside Mall (her favorite shopping spot!), Carrie likes to stay home and spend time with her dog Denim, work on puzzles, and visit with her family and friends. She’s most looking forward to having a smooth floor again, and being able to have her grandkids over for family traditions.
October Build is a program of Rebuilding Together New Orleans and the Preservation Resource Center that organizes volunteers to provide critical home repairs to New Orleans homeowners who do not have the physical or financial ability to do so on their own. These home repairs provided at no cost allow longtime New Orleans homeowners to sustain their independence and continue living safely and healthily in their homes. Since 1988, October Build has repaired nearly 1,600 houses for low-income elderly disabled and veteran homeowners. October Build 2018 is presented by Chevron.
