Since joining the Seward County Housing Authority Board in 1974, Georgia Hackworth has seen countless lives changed by board programs and housing developments.
The board's efforts, she said, ensure people have affordable and safe places to stay, and the relief felt by many who find shelter in the Authority's Manor Apartments often manifests itself in emotional ways.
“So many people that were living on low income got in over here (to live),” she said. “We had one who was crying because she was so happy she could get over here. She said she was so happy to be in such a nice place now.
“It was just a big help for a lot of people.”
After 47 years on the board, however, Hackworth has stepped down from the board. On Nov. 5, board members and people throughout the community surprised Hackworth with a reception, a bouquet of flowers and a framed certificate honoring her service.
Hackworth said she first joined the board to fill a vacancy left by a board member who passed away during their term on the board. She received a call asking if she'd be interested in joining the board. She had a simple response that started her 47 years of service on the board.
“I thought, 'well, what else is there to do?'” she said, with a laugh.
She said her service on the board allowed her to see Seward change in real time. She recalls arriving to town in 1945 and the land where the manors now sit and north of the property were fields at the time.
“It wasn't long before it started filling up,” she said, “and look at all the people living there now.”
Hackworth said she's not sure if she knew she'd be a member on the board for as long as she was when she first started, but kept serving because of the authority's mission and the people who helped execute it.
“There were a lot of nice individuals that were on the board,” she said. “There were different people who were on the board, which is good, because you need all those different people on the board.”
While Hackworth's service with the board is at its end, her involvement with the Manor Apartments is far from over, as she is a resident in one of the buildings. She prides herself of being a liaison between fellow residents and the board.
“When I moved here, I was still on the board. It was kind of nice in one respect because this way, I knew some of the things people were objecting to,” she said. “I was there to help them report it, because then it was all taken care of.”
She said she's pleased to have played a role in the apartments' service to the community and is proud to call herself a resident as well.
“It's a very, very nice place to live,” she said. “Everyone is just so cordial and inviting.”
