Help Ann Jones Restore Her Beloved Home

Hello, my name is Imani Jones. I am starting a GoFundMe on behalf of my great-great aunt Ann Jones, who is a 101-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma resident.

Ann has been a hard-working pillar in her community for many years. She retired at the age of eighty-five from working for great families like the Rumblefields and the Crawleys. She immediately began working for the Food Bank of Oklahoma, which she retired from at ninety years old. Ann's husband died in 1991 and left her, along with 3 children, one of whom is her full-time caregiver, Lydia. Lydia has succumbed to a disease of sarcoidosis, another diagnosis in the oncoming years. This has left her to retire from working for Tulsa Public Schools and has limited the income in the household. To suffice the income, Ann granddaughter helps care for them both while working overtime to tend to her children and home.

On Ann's birthday in 1975, her husband purchased her a home in North Tulsa. During this time, many Black people were not homeowners. Ann has lived in this house for fifty years and has never had to mortgage or take out any loans to pay for the home because her husband came home from service in WWII to buy her a home free and clear. This home holds very much sentimental value to Ann. She has never been in a nursing facility and refuses to leave this home.

Because of the limited amount of income, along with supplement from other family assistance, we are unable to produce the repairs needed to make this home safe for Ann and her daughter to live in. Many contractors have been paid to come out and do the work. When they began the work, they found black mold throughout the entire house. They stated that the foundation needed repairs along with the roof in the added-on part of the home, which is exposed to the elements and brings in all of the weather along with it.

We are reaching out to our community of Tulsa, Oklahoma to ask for any assistance from any non-profit which could be a tax write-off. Contacts that could help us network to find the assistance that we need and even monetary donations. No amount of help or information is too small. The goal is to have a livable, safe, and comfortable home for Ann to live in and to continue her life as long as God sees fit. She has worked all of her years and instilled in her family to be hard workers and to also serve God by serving people. Now, us, the Jones family, are asking for our community to support us with this effort. We thank you in advance and God bless.