A team of youth and adult volunteers changed the life of a wheelchair bound Vietnam veteran Friday.
A program called ‘Ramp It Up’ builds wheelchair ramps for homebound residents in Broome County.
“Today marks a special occasion for us because we are building the 150 at the ramp,” said Bob Bundy, Coordinator of Broome County Council of Church’s Ramp It Up Program.
The recipient of the wheelchair ramp, Richard Gesner of Castle Creek, is a Vietnam war veteran who has substantial walking difficulties and has been struggling after the Veteran’s Administration recently cut his pain medication.
“I think the first thing it does is give them some hope and number of these folks are many times housebound because they don’t have a way to get in and out of the house unless they’re assisted or somebody comes and actually physically carries them up and down the stairs,” said Bundy.
Bundy says the wheelchair ramp gives them independence again.
I don’t know how I could thank all these people that have come,” said Gesner. “This is going to make it easier for my wife too because there is stuff that I can’t do for my own. She’s not going to have to worry about it so much and worry less about me falling.”
The program is a youth mentoring initiative of Broome County Council of Churches Faith in Action Volunteers program. The program’s mission is to promote service, learning, and community involvement for the youth.