October 27, 2023
Originally from Des Moines, IA, Pamela Williams came to Austin by way of military service, in the Army, where she met her former husband. Like many in her family, Pam saw the value in joining the military right after college. She majored in Radio and broadcasting and had a strong desire to find a way to tell the stories in the military. Unfortunately, she wasn’t placed in the department she wanted, the Gulf War was looming and as Pam says, “I knew something was going on. They had us dressed in full gear every morning at 4 a.m.” She wanted to be done with her service.
While stationed in Germany, Pam met her soon-to-be husband and they returned to Austin, Texas. Pam has three children. Two daughters and a son, all fully grown now. After her marriage ended, Pam decided to look into home ownership. While taking a class in home ownership, she found a program that she qualified for through American Youthworks. She moved into a brand new home on April 1st, 2000. At the time her children were three, seven, and ten. The wear and tear that comes with a household of kids plus five dogs took its toll, and by 2023, the level of repairs that needed to be done was more than Pam could manage by herself. After nearly 40 years working for AISD Community Access Channel, Pam found herself having to retire early when the entire department was eliminated.
She was matched with the Meals on Wheels Central Texas Home Repair program and qualified because of her veteran status. Contractors arrived and started work in August. Pam was relieved to see the work that went into crucial upgrades. With support from Meals on Wheels America and the generous funding from The Home Depot Foundation, Pam got new steps on her back porch, new flooring inside the house, upgraded kitchen sink and backsplash, and new bathroom floors and shower upgrades. “I am so grateful and blessed to have been able to run into this program,” said Pam. “You just don’t know how bad things are until they start taking things out.” With the house repairs in place, Pam feels she can relax much more. “Now that the kids are gone, I can take good care of this house myself.”