The Villages - December 2021 - 25

their diligence, dedication and decorating flair. " We
just love seeing the joy we can bring to these families, "
Carter said.
Vice president Barbara Dubois recalls with emotion
the first year the club joined forces with Habitat -
it was 2013, and 64-year-old Curtis Lee Walters, a
Vietnam veteran, was the home's recipient. " I was
involved as a worker bee, " Dubois said. " It was the best
experience I'd ever had. "
Prior to moving Walters into his newly built home,
the HDC team brainstormed the interior design,
aiming to personalize the aesthetic for him. They
combined consignment furniture with handiwork
and heart to complete the look. Several other
charity organizations pitched in to pay for items
like bedding and small appliances, helping to
stretch their original tight $2500 budget. " Curtis
promised he wouldn't go to the home and peek in
the window, " Dubois said.
On the day of the reveal, Walters arrived in
style. Charles and Karen Dolan delivered him in a
1913 Model T Ford, and there were about 30 club
members lined up and waiting to greet him. " He
was so thrilled, he cried - it really filled my heart
to be a part of that! " Dubois said. " A year after settling
into his home, Walters was a visibly changed
man. He had lost weight and looked spry and
healthy, walking with a spring in his step. " Being
very aware of the joy other Habitat families were
feeling, he made appearances at subsequent home
dedications. The program had given him more
than brick and mortar. It gave him purpose and
an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
" About the third year into this program, Holly and
Ellen decided we could do two houses in the same
neighborhood, " Dubois said. " If we weren't seasoned
yet, that year we earned our master's degree with
flying colors. " She describes the time crunch the
morning of the big reveal, with multiple delivery trucks
jockeying for position and about 20 people bustling to
make magic for the new homeowners. " It demanded
excessive quick thinking, " Dubois said.
Right: The Villages Home Decorating Club's first project with
Habitat for Humanity was for veteran Curtis Lee Walters in 2013.
MAGAZINE
25

The Villages - December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - December 2021

Contents
The Villages - December 2021 - Cover1
The Villages - December 2021 - Contents
The Villages - December 2021 - 1
The Villages - December 2021 - 2
The Villages - December 2021 - 3
The Villages - December 2021 - 4
The Villages - December 2021 - 5
The Villages - December 2021 - 6
The Villages - December 2021 - 7
The Villages - December 2021 - 8
The Villages - December 2021 - 9
The Villages - December 2021 - 10
The Villages - December 2021 - 11
The Villages - December 2021 - 12
The Villages - December 2021 - 13
The Villages - December 2021 - 14
The Villages - December 2021 - 15
The Villages - December 2021 - 16
The Villages - December 2021 - 17
The Villages - December 2021 - 18
The Villages - December 2021 - 19
The Villages - December 2021 - 20
The Villages - December 2021 - 21
The Villages - December 2021 - 22
The Villages - December 2021 - 23
The Villages - December 2021 - 24
The Villages - December 2021 - 25
The Villages - December 2021 - 26
The Villages - December 2021 - 27
The Villages - December 2021 - 28
The Villages - December 2021 - 29
The Villages - December 2021 - 30
The Villages - December 2021 - 31
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The Villages - December 2021 - 33
The Villages - December 2021 - 34
The Villages - December 2021 - 35
The Villages - December 2021 - 36
The Villages - December 2021 - 37
The Villages - December 2021 - 38
The Villages - December 2021 - 39
The Villages - December 2021 - 40
The Villages - December 2021 - 41
The Villages - December 2021 - 42
The Villages - December 2021 - 43
The Villages - December 2021 - 44
The Villages - December 2021 - 45
The Villages - December 2021 - 46
The Villages - December 2021 - 47
The Villages - December 2021 - 48
The Villages - December 2021 - 49
The Villages - December 2021 - 50
The Villages - December 2021 - 51
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The Villages - December 2021 - 53
The Villages - December 2021 - 54
The Villages - December 2021 - 55
The Villages - December 2021 - 56
The Villages - December 2021 - 57
The Villages - December 2021 - 58
The Villages - December 2021 - 59
The Villages - December 2021 - 60
The Villages - December 2021 - 61
The Villages - December 2021 - 62
The Villages - December 2021 - Cover3
The Villages - December 2021 - Cover4
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