| Exchange club of Wythe members receive a
resolution from Hampton City Council for their 150th wheelchair ramp.
What
better gift could you give a person with mobility problems than
independence?
On a very hot and humid
Saturday in July, members of the Exchange Club of Wythe gave that
gift to their 150th recipient, a resident of Al Street in Hampton.
Like almost every month
for the past 15 years, these volunteers gathered to measure, dig, saw,
and nail together a ramp. Before they leave, a wheelchair
occupant will come out of the door and discover what club members
have attached to the house: a path to independence, a way out into
the world.
The look on their faces
when they make that discovery, says club President-elect Phil
Everhart, is what makes it "worth every ounce of energy it takes
from us."
Once people with
mobility disabilities get into the world, the Americans with
Disabilities Act makes it easier to get around than it used to be,
with curb cuts, power-assisted doors, elevators, and ramps.
But for many, getting out is the hardest part, because the stoops
and steps of their homes create an insurmountable obstacle.
That's why the Exchange
Club has built 150 ramps at Hampton homes.
Eligibility for the
ramps is based on the financial status of the household. The
cost of materials is covered by the City of Hampton's Community
Development Block Grant program. However, the volunteer time
and energy is all donated by the Exchange Club of Wythe.
Virginia House of Delegates member, Tom Gear stopped by to show his
support and a neighbor of the ramp recipient donated $200 to the
Exchange Club of Wythe.
HRHA offers grants for
non-ambulatory Hampton residents that are in need of a wheelchair
ramp. This grant covers the cost of materials to build the ramp on
the recipient’s primary residence. Grant recipients may hire a
Virginia licensed and insured contractor of their choice to
construct the ramp or receive volunteer labor by registering on our
waiting list.
For further information about HRHA programs, please contact (757)
727-1111, option 6.
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