Joel Sackett, a longtime island resident and beloved chronicler of its history and people, recounts his experience with Independent Living.

We moved to Bainbridge Island from Japan, where I lived from 1980 to 1990 and met my wife, Michiko. A year before the actual move we bought the least expensive house on the island, a 1984 double-wide mobile home. I thought at the time that we might upgrade as we got to know the island neighborhoods better, but that never happened. My income as a self-employed photographer is uncertain, and so my mantra has always been ‘low overhead.’ Besides, we fell in love with this house and to this day, feel blessed to live in it. We’ve slowly made improvements over the years with limited resources and building skills.

Now, in our early 70s and facing some health constraints, I reached out to HRB for help. I wasn’t looking for financial support as much as the names of trustworthy contractors who would be willing to work on an older mobile home and on a modest budget. Most contractors I’ve spoken with are looking for projects that are bigger and more lucrative. HRB had those connections plus funding to help get things done. Michiko has some health issues that make home improvements more urgent than optional. She has a chronic respiratory condition that requires a warm and dry home. We had concerns about the purity of the water as well. HRB was able to help with some of those problems, such as a new hot water heater and water filtration, freeing up our own funds for other health-related improvements.

Making an action plan with Misty was a pleasure. She was always here when the work got underway. After the larger issues were addressed, she noticed a detail that turned out to be a small but significant upgrade. Our bathtub didn’t have a safe bar to hold onto. So, she brought over a bar that clamped onto the side of the tub and installed it in a minute. We use it every day, and it makes that step in and out more secure.

My mother-in-law, Hamako, who is 95 and lives in Japan, spends four to five months every year with us. She is in good health, but naturally all the improvements we have made with the assistance of HRB benefit her too, keeping us an intergenerational family.

We’re forever grateful to be here on Bainbridge Island, in this house, our home, and have no plans of going anywhere.