The water main from the street began to leak earlier this year at Emma Richardson’s Dale City home. Because of all the rain that fell this spring, she didn’t realize at first that the water pooling in front of her home was from a water leak until she got the water bill.
Emma is the original owner of the home. When she bought it forty-three years ago, she had waited months for it to be completed. It’s a home she plans to keep “for life”. Emma commuted to the District of Columbia where she managed Safeway stores, first at the Watergate and later at 21st and L Streets. Disabled on the job in 1980, Emma turned her attention to fostering children. She estimates that she has fostered twenty to twenty-five children over the years.
She also raised her son and grandson in the home. Her son lives in Richmond and helps Emma as much as he can so that she can stay in her home. Emma’s grandson was a member of the first graduating class of Pope John Paul the Great High School. Emma tells how she wore the same pair of pants for a year, rinsing them out at night, in order to save money to send her grandson to private schools. She proudly added that he graduated with a 4.3 GPA and became a Sergeant in the Navy at twenty-three.
Habitat for Humanity Prince William County will replace the water main line along with a non-functioning garage door. We’re ready to give Emma Richardson a “hand up” and hope you’ll join us with your donations and volunteer time. We look forward to working with you!
If you’d like to learn more about our home repair program, please click here. To help us pay for this project and others that Habitat for Humanity will provide for your neighbors in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park…or to volunteer on the project, click the links below!