Homeowner – Nathaniel Jones
Nathaniel Jones
They say karma comes full circle, and for Nathaniel Jones, his life was no exception.
Mr. Jones, a Charleston native, joined the Army working as a mortician helper. A career path you don’t usually hear of “taking off”, but it brought him all the way to Philadelphia once he left the Army. There, he worked at a factory and at the local Navy Yard. Fast forward to 1989, Nathaniel was back living in Charleston, and disaster struck. That disaster’s name was Hugo, and he showed no mercy to Charleston, tearing it limb from limb. Mr. Jones volunteered for the clean-up in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo. Rebuilding houses and repairing families, his work was not unlike that of the Sustainability Institute’s. For Nathaniel, the Corps Members are doing for him what he did for others over 20 years ago. Truly, what goes around comes around. Three years after the destruction of Hugo, Nathaniel and his wife and kids moved into the house they still reside in today. Prior to the Energy Conservation Corps coming to work on his house, he didn’t know much about the Sustainability Institute and all that they do. Now, he has nothing but positive things to say about them. Nathaniel defined sustainability as “taking what you have and making it better”. In every sense of the word, that is truly what sustainability is about. From Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” campaign where they road-trip around the country to help people repair their old gear, to retrofitting the houses of the Charleston Upper Peninsula area. Especially in an age of declining resources, taking care of what we already have is crucial in order to live sustainable lives. Nathaniel is certainly having no trouble living a sustainable life, he has successfully sustained his bowling record and improved his technique.