107-year-old Alabamian asked for secret to longevity: ‘Ain’t no secret. Praising God.’

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June 16, 2015

Virginia Wright and Clairee Washington (c/o Carpenter's Hands Ministry) — Virginia Wright and Clairee Washington (c/o Carpenter’s Hands Ministry)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — John Luther, the Director of Operations for the Carpenter’s Hands ministry in Birmingham, was surprised when he was told the wheelchair ramp his team built was not for the 89-year-old woman he’d already met—it was for her mother.

“When I went to the house to talk to the homeowner, a lady came to the door who I would’ve estimated was about 70 years old,” Luther explained. “Which puzzled me a little, because on the application it said the homeowner was 89. She seemed to be in excellent health, so I asked her why she needed a wheelchair ramp. That was when she let me know that it wasn’t for her, but for her mother.”

Amazingly, the 107-year-old Virginia Wright had been using the stairs until just a few months ago.

“It’s a blessing to keep mother here at home” says Wright’s daughter, Clairee Washington. “We love that it makes our home both comfortable and livable for her.”

Carpenter’s Hands, a joint ministry of Canterbury and Avondale United Methodist Churches’ Avondale Samaritan Place, makes home repairs for low income residents of the Birmingham community while providing “the personal touch of continuing care with each family while [they] work and long after the job is complete.”

Avondale Samaritan Place runs several programs to help with food, housing, and elderly assistance programs in the community.

“This is just one of many stories I’ve seen through my job in this ministry” said John Luther. “And this is really what it’s all about…just being the hands and feet of Christ by helping people who are in serious need of home repairs. Or in this case, by building a wheelchair ramp for someone who really needed it.”

When asked her secret to longevity, Mrs. Wright told AL.com “Ain’t no secret. Praising God and going to God for his grace.”

To learn more about Samaritan Place and Carpenter’s Hands, including information for how to donate, visit their website at www.asamaritanplace.org.