One Sunday afternoon while reading an article in the newspaper, Betty Bailey Dean, Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment with Hays State Prison, recognized the name of a former Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) employee. Former Corrections Officer Dennis Price and his family had recently been approved for a Habitat for Humanity house. During his 17 years with the GDC, Officer Price worked at Hays State Prison and North West Probation Detention Centeras a corrections officer until a debilitating medical condition led to his early retirement in 2009.
Deputy Warden Dean had never forgotten Officer Price’s hard work, dedication and commitment to the GDC. The need for volunteers to help build a home for the Price family propelled her into action. With the help of her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority sisters and her husband’s motorcycle club, the Strikers, Dean formed a team to help construct a five-bedroom, two-bath home for the Price family.
For months, the team and a host of community volunteers worked tirelessly to build the home and complete the landscaping. Upon completion, Dean, leaders from the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Strikers motorcycle club presented the family with a huge basket filled with housewarming gifts. In July 2011, Dean and her team attended the dedication ceremony.
Dennis was so overwhelmed with joy to see his GDC teammates working along with him and his family hammering, painting, and planting for the past few months. With the help of Habitat for Humanity, Dean, and numerous volunteers, Dennis and his family are now enjoying their lovely new home.
– Story shared by Cathy Smith-Curry, Georgia Dept. of Corrections. Pictured is Deputy Warden Dean, second from the left, along with her sorority sisters.
