When Bill Wright retired from managing Sears in Oxford in 1994, the 30-year veteran of retail wars took a few minutes of time off.
Almost immediately after he received that mythical gold watch and the candles on his retirement cake stopped smoking, he decided to get involved with the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.
Wright’s decision, and subsequent determination, is a large part of why 36 families will get keys to new homes and others will get new paint jobs and repairs in western Anniston.
“It’s a dream come true,” Wright said Thursday morning. “When we first started talking about the Jimmy Carter Work Project, we felt like the possibility of getting it was zero, but with God, all things are possible. Everyone said what we’re trying to do is impossible. I said, ‘You’re exactly right, but we’re going to do it anyway.’”
Wright spent eight years as the executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Calhoun County. It was his brainchild to come up with a date to end substandard housing here, and he chose 2020.
This commitment on the part of a retiree led Habitat officials to select Anniston for part of this year’s work project.
“Without him, we wouldn’t be here,” said Dana van Ekris, Wright’s successor. “Without Bill, we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we have. He took it from the beginning and jumped right in.”
She said Wright oversaw the organization when it built two homes a year, then six the next, then 13, the 22 homes a year. Until finally, Anniston was named part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project.
Wright retired from being executive director on his birthday in 2002. Now 62, the Birmingham native works as a consultant for the project, with his main interest focused on western Anniston.
For the great portion of this past week, Wright has overseen the home repairs along Mulberry, Pine and Murray avenues.
It has been a transformation of the homes and the people.
“Bill Wright and his vision would not let this die, even though every conceivable wall was put in his way,” said Anniston Mayor Chip Howell at a press conference Thursday morning.
But Wright won’t rest for long. He’s hoping the momentum from this week will carry on after Jimmy Carter, Millard Fuller and company leave town. He wants residents, volunteers and city officials to continue stamping out substandard housing.
He’ll do his part.
“It’s been great, I’ve gotten so much more out of it than I’ve put into it,” Wright said. “The neighbors are ecstatic. But now that this has been started, the people in West Anniston should look out. We’re coming their way.”
