A publisher, caterer, stained glass creator, personal counselor, energy worker, and student for the past 36 years, Carol Ann Fryer has lived a life of helping others. Now, it’s DURA’s turn to help her.
Fryer has lived in her Denver home for 39 years and has watched the historic houses around her become either updated over time or replaced completely. She learned from a neighbor about DURA’s programs to assist with critical home repairs to help people remain in their homes — a priority for 75-year-old Fryer who couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her home.
“The work DURA has helped with has taken an enormous amount of stress and worry off of my back about being able to age in place,” said Fryer. “The thought of not being able to stay in my house weighed heavily on me.”
DURA not only installed grab bars and fixed Fryer’s front door, they conducted lead mitigation on the outside of her home. Lead poisoning is the No. 1 preventable environmental health threat to children in the United States – a concern for Fryer who often provides care for her grandchildren in her home.
“I’ve been watching my grandson on and off since he was born,” said Fryer. “His health and safety are important to me.”
After completing her first project with DURA, Fryer began to notice hairline cracks in the wall of her living room in late 2019 – they began to expand and appear in almost every room of her 1951 home. Fryer is now working with DURA again, this time to address foundation work that she said she’d otherwise be unable to afford.
“Working with DURA has been life-changing,” Fryer said. “They are a nice, high-quality group of people, they’re honest and they work with you. I can age gracefully in my home because of the work DURA has helped me with.”