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We will be volunteering with DeKalb Habitat for Humanity from 12 - 4pm for a home repair project for a very special DeKalb woman, Jacqueline Sawyer Williams, so that she can age in place, in Lynwood Park, one of the oldest Black communities in Georgia. Sign up HERE
DeKalb Habitat for Humanity has identified several critical home repairs that will allow Jacqueline to age in place safely at her home. Here are a few:
Install new roof and gutters
Repair unsafe marble tile front entrance steps
Replace damaged sheetrock ceiling in laundry room
Install new lighting fixture in laundry room
Replace window
Install new ramp and handrail in back porch
Install grab bars in bathroom
Replace bathroom faucet
Install handheld showerhead
Here is a short biography of Ms. Williams:
Jacqueline Sawyer Williams is one of the trailblazers of the Lynwood Park community and is carrying out the legacy of her late parents Bishop Cornelius and Mother Margaret Sawyer. The Sawyers migrated to Lynwood Park, one the oldest Black communities in Georgia, in the late 1940s with the dream to build a home of their own and raise their family which consisted of 6 kids.
In 1947 their dream came true when they purchased their first plot of land on 1113 Antioch Drive. With the help of a community of men, their dream became a reality. The Sawyer home was not just for their family, but many families were blessed through the generosity of serving others. Through feeding the community out of their kitchen, no person, no child was left hungry, everybody ate and ate well. Bishop Sawyer fed a multitude of people and was always remembered as a man of great integrity.
In the late 1950s the Sawyer house caught on fire and burned to the ground but because of the love and impact of the community they all came back together and rebuilt the house with their very own hands…brick by brick with love, sweat and tears…everyone pitched in with their gifts and talents so that a family of 8 was not left without a home.
Jacqueline, affectionately known as Jackie, is the third child out of 6. Jacqueline graduated from Cross Keys High School in 1971 and is presently an active member of the Lynwood Park Foundation. She participates in the annual Lynwood Park Day every year in May. She serves faithfully in her brother’s church Rise Again Ministries in Buckhead Georgia which rose from the foundation of their father church lineage St. Peter’s True Holiness Church.
She became the care giver to her parents in the early 2000s when their health began to shift. Consequently, she moved back into the family home, which stands today in the same location. This home is a museum of memories filled with laughter and love that has withstood the test of time over the last 60+ years.
As a previous stroke survivor and a breast cancer survivor, Jackie‘s own health challenges and financial restrictions have restricted her ability to sustain and maintain this home. There are a number of upgrades necessary to make this home safe.
The Sawyer home is one of the 400+ original families that still remain in the Lynwood Park community and has not wavered even in the regentrification of this community, leaving less than 20 original homes. This home is a representation of many DeKalb families that worked hard and built
a legacy for their families. 1113 Antioch Drive stands strong as a landmark of that lasting legacy.
We currently have 11 volunteers - we hope to have 20 to 25! Volunteers ages 12 to 17 are welcome, with parental approval.
Sign up HERE
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