Sharon was living on the 26^th floor of an apartment building where the elevators frequently broke down. Because of this, she often missed doctors’ appointments or had to trudge up the stairs for half an hour just to get home. Her friends rarely visited for fear of being stuck in the elevator.

When she goes walking, Sherry gathers large branches from the ground. A Lord of the Rings fan, she later carves and paints the branches and embellishes them with crystals and bits of vintage jewelry, creating wands and staffs that would make Gandalf proud.

Pastor Wanda Crawford’s parents bought their house in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood in the 1960s. In 2001, Pastor Crawford returned home to care for her mother.

“You don’t feel alone,” the pastor says about her many long-time neighbors. “You can knock on their doors, and people help each other.”

“You can go and talk to [H.O.M.E. staff] about anything.”

“I was almost at the point where I wanted to give up my home and go into a senior building. But I wasn’t ready for that. I wanted to be as independent as I could for as long as I could… And I wanted a place where my grandchildren could come and stay.”

After fulfilling careers as a nanny and a teacher’s aide, Lois made a new home at Elizabeth Woods, a senior residence in Chicago, where she lives with her cat Willow…

Rafael had lived in his one-bedroom apartment for five years. Unfortunately, over time, a disability had made it difficult for him to navigate the stairs…

When Marijo moved to Nathalie Salmon House ten years ago, she wasn’t necessarily looking for a community. She was mostly drawn to the property’s affordability and shared meals, and the money she would have left over each month. She found all that at Nathalie Salmon House. But she also found something even more important — friends.

A former Motown musician and owner of a mechanic shop. Mr. S., who is visually impaired, was living in an apartment building bordered by two vacant lots that sometimes are the site of criminal activity…

Herma contacted H.O.M.E. because she wanted to accommodate her visiting father and needed grab bars by her bathtub…

“I try to make the most of my time here because we only have so much, but if I can have a chat, make somebody smile, that’s worth spending a little extra time.”

They say opposites attract, and Karleen and William Rowe are a case in point. 

“I was spinning records out here at a young age… Some guy had rented a place out on South Stony Island Avenue and called it Teen-ville, where kids could go to dance. I volunteered to play the records and he said, ‘Go ahead and bring your music.’”