Lady A takes a break from CMA Fest to restore Murfreesboro home for seniors
Christine and James Mitchell, who are 89 and 90, respectively, have struggled to keep up with maintenance on their Murfreesboro home as they've aged.
Their small home has accumulated unlivable damage, including rotting siding and failing windows, that has made it unsafe for them.
The Mitchells are unable to do the repairs themselves and do not have the financial means to get it fixed. But they don't want to give up their independence.
Luckily, they have help.
The couple welcomed a group of volunteers to their home of 25 years Friday — including Grammy Award-winning country trio Lady A.
The band, made up of Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, took a break from CMA Fest shows and events to visit with the Mitchells and help nail in their new windows.
"I am so excited to look and see the beauty that it's going to bring into the community," Christine Mitchell said, as workers replaced windows and siding and built an outdoor railing.
"I can pull in my driveway and see the beauty, and look at these places where it was rotten and ragged — even my garage was about ready to collapse. I'm just thrilled to death that God saw fit to take care of one of his children."
The project is led by Cornerstone Building Brands’ Home for Good program and Habitat for Humanity. Lady A members are the 2024 Home for Good ambassadors, working to raise awareness for home security and safety.
Home for Good launched in 2016 to help communities across the country during the affordable-housing crisis and to provide homeowners with safety-minded repairs.
The Mitchells were sitting in their plastic white lawn chairs when Lady A arrived and joined them for a visit Friday afternoon.
“The moment we got to walk in and meet the Mitchells, especially Mrs. Mitchell, it felt like the spirit was running through her,” said Haywood.
The five of them shared a moment of faith, discussing gospel music and 'Godwinks,' or divine intervention, and Christine Mitchell's upbringing singing in church. James Mitchell and Scott bonded over the big meals they have with their families and stories about their children.
When it was time to get to work, Lady A changed into official Home for Good t-shirts and picked up hammers to nail the new windows into place. Scott’s daughter Eisele Tyrrell even got in on the action and hammered in a couple nails.
“This part of being in country music specifically, the philanthropic part, it's kind of a requirement in the genre that I love,” Scott said. "I think that it's really important and we feel really honored to wave that flag and hopefully spur other artists on to do more of it too because it's so important to use this platform that we've been given for the greater good and this is a really fun way to do it."
Before Lady A left, Christine Mitchell's only request was to hear them sing. Scott and Haywood performed the chorus of “American Honey” with soulful vocals and harmony. Then Scott was joined by Christine and Laray Mitchell, James’ daughter, in a heartfelt performance of “I Surrender All.”
"I look around and all I can do is keep from crying," Mitchell said. "It's tears of joy because the fact that things needed to be done and [we] wanted to do it, was just trying to figure out how to do it."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lady A, Home for Good restore Murfreesboro home for senior couple
