Help Jakini Restore Historical Pine Knolls Home

Jakini Adisi was born and raised in Pine Knolls, one of the few historically black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill. Jakini moved away to raise her own family, serving her new community in Atlanta as a teaching assistant and elementary school counselor.

She moved back to Pine Knolls seven years ago to care for her mom, who will soon be 105! Jakini is grateful to be able to offer support to mother and to be back in the home that holds so many special memories for her.

But this home, built and purchased in 1952 by Jakini’s father, is currently not safe for Jakini to live in. And as much as she loves her family homestead, Jakini lives well below the median income for Orange County and cannot afford to make the necessary repairs.

The front steps need to be lowered for easy access.

The kitchen floor is riddled with holes.

The bathroom does not have a single electrical outlet.

Hope Renovations and BOLD Construction are teaming up to help! Hope and BOLD will be providing all of the labor to make the repairs. We need your help to pay for the materials.

Our phase 1 ask is for $5,000. This will allow us to make the floors stable and walkable, fix the porch and make other miscellaneous repairs.

If we raise more funds, up to an additional $15,000, we can renovate the entire home - bring the electrical up to code, put in new functioning appliances, and more. Please consider helping Jakini so she can enjoy retirement in her childhood home and pass it on to future generations of her family.

Hope Renovations and BOLD Construction are proud to partner to make a home safe for a local woman in need.

Gorgeous, bright zinnias greet visitors who pull up to Jakini Adisi’s home in the historic Pine Knolls neighborhood. Ms. Adisa’s flowers, along with her brimming summer vegetable garden, bring joy to walkers in the Pine Knolls neighborhood.

At 67 years old, Ms Adisa remains invested in her neighborhood and participates in many hobbies and community efforts. She has an extraordinarily green thumb, finds delight in canning homemade fruits and vegetables, and she serves as a member of the Jackson Center, an organization that strives to preserve the future of historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

Jakini is proud to live in Pine Knolls, one of the few historically black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill, in a house her father bought when it was built in 1952. He had over a dozen siblings, and before moving into the home, he was a farmer in Heritage Hills.

Here is some historical context: In the 1950s, African Americans were not allowed to apply for home loans, so Jakini’s father had to get a loan through a friend in order to purchase the home. It has always been important to Jakini that the home be passed down through generations and cared for. She finds pride in her family’s house and the land on which it rests.

Jakini moved back into the family home just over 5 years ago. Before that, she rented it out to folks in the community, always striving to rent the home out at a reasonable price, taking careful consideration of the increasing costs of living that often make housing inaccessible for many residents of underserved communities.

Because Ms. Adisa’s beloved home is now more than 70 years old, there are necessary repairs that need to be completed to ensure that she is able to safely age in place. Jakini cannot afford these repairs. Her income falls 30% below the median income in Orange County, leaving no cash for home improvements. Having this work done will provide her with not only physical stability, but also peace of mind.

Modest renovations will eliminate her worry over tripping over her extremely tall outside steps or falling through holes in the kitchen floor. Additionally, the home has serious electrical work that needs to be done. There is not a single electrical outlet in the bathroom, making it difficult to go about daily living routines.

Financial support towards Jakini’s home renovations will allow her to live safely and continue to thrive as a member of her historically rich community.

Please consider making a contribution to this fundraiser to positively impact the life of a senior, the legacy of her home and this historically rich community!