Kate's Story

My name is Katherine George.  My mother and I, are long time residents of Byrnes Downs.  My parents moved into our home at 2  Nicholson St in 1956.  We are very close neighbors to your location and I love reading West Of.

As I was reading the weekly Tuesday mail, where you get all of the local grocery store flyers, I came across this article that opened my eyes.  The Sustainability Institute SC was on the front page. I later found out they are the an award winning  non-profit organization in the Lowcountry working to save individuals money on their energy bill.  They were established in 1999 to educate community residents about the benefits of sustainability.

This is how we met and my story begins.

As you well know, Byrnes Downs homes were built in the 1940’s.  My parents were originally from Mississippi.  My father was transferred to Charleston to work at the Naval Shipyard.  They lived on the peninsula for a couple of years as did most of the Navy Yard employees.  Sunday afternoon drives would bring them to West Ashley when Savannah Hwy was still a 2 lane road with no sidewalks.  My mother saw this house on the corner of Savannah Hwy and Nicholson St and said that she wanted to live in that house right there.  It was close to church, schools and shopping.  My mother’s dream house.

So, she watched and waited for that home to be hers.  Finally, a for rent sign came up and her and dad went to the house.  There was another couple there when they arrived.  The couple was talking and the wife said that she didn’t think her furniture would fit in this house.  My mother immediately popped up with “My furniture will!”  This was the sentence that started her dream to live in that house on the corner.

They rented for awhile and then they finally purchased the house.  They moved in when I was 6 months old.  It was in December, 1956.

My brother and I grew up in Byrnes Downs with all of the other kids that lived there.  We all went to the same school, Blessed Sacrament School, the same church, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, and we all went on to the same high school, Bishop England.  Children that we started in first grade with went all the way from 1st grade to graduating from high school together. We were truly a great community that stuck together even past high school. I still see my friends that stayed in Charleston all of their life.

I got married in the same church and had my daughter in the same hospital that I was born in.  I eventually moved away to California.

Fast forward, my father who took care of everything died in 1977.  My brother took his place by taking care of mom.  My brother was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 35 and died in 1995 at the young age of 41 on Valentine’s Day.  What a horrible phone call I received in California on that day.

I moved back home to take my place next to mom. 

It’s been 13 years now.  My mom has aged, the house has aged also. She still warms the house with an old kerosene heater which was the heat of choice in the 40’s.  The 150 gallon tank is behind the garage, that has to be filled often.  You see at her age, you are always cold.   I have been trying to keep up with everything like my dad and brother-house cleaning, lawn care, tree cutting, plumbing, paying bills, and taking care of mom.  The house that my mother loved so much has aged like her.  This isn’t the same house that she fell in love with.

The attic has no insulation; the crawl space is not insulated either. The doors leak air as well as the windows. The ceiling is falling apart and the paint is peeling off the walls. The once nice looking hardwood floors are buckling due to moisture and the sink in the bathroom does not work.  Mom can’t seem to turn the water  off in the kitchen or bath due to her arthritis. 

Which brings us back to the Sustainability Institute.  I have never asked for help nor my mother due to our Southern pride.  But when I read this article about  the Institute that builds communities,  preserves our state’s precious natural resources, and enables every person to have a healthy, comfortable and energy-efficient home, I put my Southern pride aside.

I wrote a letter explaining my mother’s situation.  Over the course of a few days, they said my mother qualified for assistance.  I could not believe it!

This is where the West Of comes in.  You see, this is a total volunteer effort.  The community coming together as one to help out a neighbor.  All of the material, time, food and beverages will need to be donated.  I have met with the firemen at Station 10, who would like to participate. Ben, the project manager at the Sustainability Institute will be meeting with Father Hanley, the pastor at Blessed Sacrament Church, and Donna  Jacobs, author of Byrnes Downs will be contacting the Neighborhood Association.  I also asked Donna if she would like to document this for her next book.  The Sustainability Institute will also be taking pictures to put on their website to publicized how their organization works.  At this time, the economy is also effecting them and they are in need of donations.

We have scheduled the project at my mother’s home to start on Saturday, December 10 at 10:00 AM.  With the house being on the corner of the very busy Savannah Hwy, I would like you to invite as many of your readers and vendors to participate - whether it be food, time, material or donations. Hopefully,  it will look like a block party. 

My mom has always loved this house and with all of our help it will be a great Christmas present to give her “That House” back to her.

Thanks for your time and pray that this project will be everything that we have imagined.

Sincerely,

Katherine George  (Kate)