Gregory Construction Renovating Homes, Rebuilding Lives with Lincoln Village Ministry

Lincoln Village Ministry is working to combat the destructive trends in area communities, one house at a time.

The renovation of two houses on Levert Street is part of a collaboration between Gregory Construction and Lincoln Village Ministry. Gregory renovated two homes in December. This year, they plan to renovate four houses.

With a team of four, the Gregory crew worked quickly and efficiently.

“We were able to take a very professional and managed approach,” said Aaron Gregory, president of Gregory Construction. “We were able to complete the homes in just a few months.”

Lincoln Village Ministry also had volunteers and paid specialty service contractors complete additional work around the houses, such as finishing touches and landscaping. The little things that make a house a home.

The Lincoln Park homes share a long and common history. The duplexes were built in the 1930s to house families that worked at the nearby mill. Over the years, urban blight crept up and left its mark on the once vibrant community.

In time, these charming “shotgun houses” fell into disrepair as the neighborhoods began to deteriorate.

Levert Street, in particular, had the unenviable reputation as a mecca of crime, drugs and, most of all, poverty.

Two years ago, Gregory and Lakshmi Nallamala, Lincoln Village’s executive director, had the good fortune to meet at an Executive Leadership Peer Group.

“As soon as I heard about the work Lincoln Village was doing, I knew I wanted our company to be involved,” said Gregory. “We do work all over the Southeast and are committed to giving back to each community we work in.

“Gregory Construction’s core values align perfectly with Lincoln Village’s mission, so this is a great fit.”

Since its inception in 2012, Lincoln Village Ministry has purchased and renovated 25 homes in the surrounding Lincoln Village neighborhood. Another 33 homes are slated for the next round.

In addition to a newly renovated home, Lincoln Village Ministry offers a program that provides families with a comprehensive set of tools for living. To help combat the downward spiral of poverty, Lincoln Village offers counseling, spiritual guidance, professional and vocational assistance, and educational opportunities.

“Knowing that the fruit of our labor will change a family’s life tomorrow,” said Gregory. “And, hopefully, create a home of peace for the next generation that will break a cycle of poverty both physically and spiritually.”

Throughout the more established Lincoln Village neighborhoods, the transformation is evident. There are well-kept homes, neighbors outside visiting, and children playing in their front yards.

“You can see the difference immediately,” said Nallamala. “There is hope here now. This is a real community with families that care about each other and are working to make better lives for themselves and even future generations.”