Alvin Gibson, Hands on Housing Client
Mr. Gibson has been living in his home in East Austin for over forty years. He was born and raised in Austin. At fifteen years old, he watched his dad build the home in which he now resides, with his bare hands. His father, no longer with us, also figured out how to run all the electrical wiring for the Gibson home, himself; though his DIY electrical system installation was noble and necessary at the time, forty years later, Mr. Gibson found himself in an unsafe living environment, surrounded by electrical hazards. His dear friends, and former clients of our Hands on Housing program, encouraged him to apply for home repair services through our agency.
Mr. Gibson has a couple degrees in sociology and theology under his belt. He is a recovering addict, and credits his theological studies for his sobriety. He recalls that the closer he got to God, the stronger his will power grew to quit using. For thirty-five years Mr. Gibson worked as a heavy equipment operator. He loved (and still does love) “playing” with the machines, but had to retire recently, due to the toll the job was taking on his body. He had been working six days a week, eight to twelve hours a day, just sitting. The daily inactivity from the waist down was no longer sustainable for Mr. Gibson as he aged. He has been having a really hard time adjusting to retired life, and really misses being in the workforce. He misses waking up with somewhere to be. So, after Hands on Housing was all done with the electrical work on his home, Mr. Gibson became our volunteer maintenance man. Whenever anything breaks, we call Mr. Gibson!
In his younger days, Mr. Gibson very much enjoyed horseback riding, and even had several horses of his own. A hobby a little more easy to sustain now-adays, is his dog training hobby. He has worked with many breeds, but prefers to work with American Pit Bull Terriers, as he believes they are just GREAT dogs. He knows that dog training will help him keep busy and occupied during his retirement journey.
Mr. Gibson’s most cherished memory in his home is seeing his dad be so dedicated to his family. “My dad was the wisest old man there ever was”, Mr. Gibson explains. He now knows that it was from his father that he learned how to respect and treat a woman properly; and, how to be a good father himself. His father also taught him how to pay attention to, and always care for his mother. Mr. Gibson gives total credit to his father for developing his own fathering and grand-fathering skills, and preparing him to be the best dad and grandfather he could be. His father is one of the most important people in his life, because he showed Mr. Gibson how to be a family man. Alvin has seven daughters and two sons now. His youngest daughter is forty, and they are very close. She is also eight months pregnant with Mr. Gibson’s next grand-child and he is excited about that.
The happiest moments of Mr. Gibson’s life were the births of each of his children. The saddest moments were when his siblings and parents passed away. Some of his greatest accomplishments: starting his own trucking company, recovering from drug addiction, and turning over his life to God. The advice he would give his younger self and the next generation: “Don’t be afraid to get your heart broken, as hearts will always mend and heal.”
He looks forward every day to rising up and being helpful to those around him. His favorite part of life, so far, is transitioning from a drug addict to a productive member of society and his family. When asked what his dream home would look like, Mr. Gibson doesn’t have to think about this too hard. “My dream home would have three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a huge covered patio, a large BBQ area under many shade trees”, he says, with a huge, beaming smile on his face.
