In need of a wheelchair ramp? These retired seniors can help

ALBANY – For almost three years, the waitlist for the SOWEGA Council on Aging’s ramp building program had about 200 people on it.

Now, the list is cleared and the program volunteers are waiting for people in need of a free ramp to call SCOA’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection.

The ramps are free for seniors or people with disabilities that include mobility needs. By calling the Aging and Disability Resource Connection number, those interested will go through an assessment process to see if they meet the criteria for a ramp and then be placed on the list to be referred to the ramp crew. The program serves Dougherty, Lee and parts of Mitchell, Terrell and Worth counties.

Sarah Bass, the AmeriCorps Volunteer Program Coordinator, said there is no income qualification and the ramps come at no cost, but donations are encouraged as they help keep the program going.

Bass said the program’s waitlist filled up during the COVID-19 pandemic. The volunteer group of about 20 retired seniors were building between 60 and 80 ramps per year.

“It just so happens that we’ve gotten caught up, but that also has a lot to do with there being more participation in the volunteer program,” she said.

Bass said the group always welcomes more volunteers as well.

James Hill, 87, has been leading the ramp crew for about 25 years. He’s helped build around 1,700 ramps in that time.

“I enjoy doing it – the design and the challenge – every ramp is different,” Hill said. “I also always feel like I need to give something back to the people.”

Hill served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and then worked at Albany’s Marine Corps Logistics Base for 20 years before retiring. At 87, he said he still wants to do more service.

Hill said he already did woodworking as a hobby when he began volunteering with the ramp program. Today, he leads the volunteer charge. When a client gets referred to him, he goes out to their home, takes measurements, determines what materials are needed, draws the ramp up to scale, and gets the wood cut.

“Then, the rest of the crew puts it together,” he said. “We end up with a ramp. We’ve got a way for a person to get from their porch or steps to the ground safely.”

Hill said he loves seeing clients’ reactions when the crew is finished.

“When we finish the ramp, especially with men, they just say, ‘Gosh, guys, thank you so much … before, I just couldn’t get down. I had to wait for my son to come get me or policemen to come,’” he said. “It makes us all feel really good when we’re through.”

Hill said it’s also a great group of men he gets to work with.

“This is the neatest bunch of men I’ve ever met in my life,” he said.

The group consists of retired military veterans and Procter & Gamble workers. Hill said they all have the greatest work ethic and same feelings of accomplishment when they build a ramp.

“It’s like instant gratification,” he said.

Hill said clients in need of a ramp can expect the job to get done efficiently with “no foul language going on, just a bunch of good guys out there enjoying what they’re doing.”

Those in need of a ramp or interested in volunteering can call the SCOA number at (800) 282-6612.

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