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y grandmother has lived in the same brick house in Virginia since 1965. She picked out the house plan, raised her family there and hosted countless gatherings, including her famous Christmas Eve parties, over the years. Nana’s even had the same next-door neighbor for four decades (Hi, Mrs. G!). So it’s understandable that she, at 87 years old, would want to continue to enjoy the views from her beautiful sunroom. She’s not alone: Nearly nine in 10 Americans between 50 and 80 say it’s important to remain in their houses as they get older, a recent University of Michigan poll found. But almost half say that they’ve given little or no thought to the steps they’d need to take so they could remain there safely. I recently stayed with my grandmother for a few days and, after I tripped over a particularly problematic rug, we replaced all her bathroom mats and put new nonslip material under other rugs. Some homes of older adults need more structural tweaks like ramps and handrails. That’s where Nora El-Khouri Spencer and her Hope Renovations crew in Carrboro come in. The women they train to enter into construction careers also help older adults complete the repairs and renovations they need to stay in their homes. It’s an admirable cause and one that’s caught the attention of everyone from “The Drew Barrymore Show” to CNN Heroes as well as our staff, and we’re proud to highlight the organization in our 10th annual women’s issue. Read on to learn about the other 12 women – entrepreneurs, coaches and champions of the community – starting on page 70. And send in your nomination for future women’s issues, using the QR code to the right! CHM
Hunter Douglas Centurion Gallery (919) 806-3638 FOLLOW US @MaxHugoInteriors MAXHUGOINTERIORS.COM
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chapelhillmagazine.com
May/June 2023
jessica.stringer@chapelhillmagazine.com O N TH E COV E R P h o to by J o h n Mi c h a e l S i m p s o n
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