However, despite her very best efforts, the maintenance of the 100+ year old home proved to be overwhelming. Built by hand, the 800 sq. foot home still has a partial dirt floor basement. A few years ago, she climbed up on the roof to patch the leaks herself. Having experienced and worked her way out of bankruptcy, Carol said, “I didn’t have the resources, but had to fix the roof. It was raining in the hallway and bathroom.” Carol has been on the waiting list at PathStone for a new roof for over three years.

When Chris from PathStone visited Isabelle Street to assess the work scope, Carol shared that it was very difficult for her to let Chris see all the work that needed to be done. “I couldn’t have anyone visit. I was so embarrassed about the state of my home.” This house historically had been heated by a Franklin stove. Curtains hung in the doorways to keep heat from escaping upstairs to the unheated bedrooms. Carol says that she was afraid Chris was joking about all the potential improvements. “He answered all my questions, paid attention, and was kind and respectful.” Now, this historic family home has a new roof and gutters, furnace, heat pump hot water heater, insulation, external siding repair, stair railings, and other energy-efficiency, health and safety improvements ready for the next century of family members.

Carol is completely over the moon with happiness and gratitude for the grants and the people involved in the work. “Everyone was so wonderful. I had a very bad experience with a previous contractor, but they took away all my fears. They were terrific and took good care of my home. My grandmother would be so proud.”

These improvements resulted in a 43.6% reduction in fuel usage and will keep 17 tons of GHG emissions out of our atmosphere.