The Wheelchair Ramp Team of Messiah Lutheran Church conducted another successful ramp build today. This ongoing ministry of Messiah Lutheran Church is conducted in partnership with CASA of Madison County to build fully functional and safe ramps for those in need. This was the 38th ramp built by the Messiah Team.
The team took the summer off from ramp building because the weather in Alabama during the summer is just a bit hot volunteer manual labor. We figured that by October 5th, things would have cooled off enough to make for a temperate ramp building day. We were wrong. It was 95 degrees today and the Sun was on the burnt toast setting. We did drink a large quantity of water in order to stay hydrated. Some people run marathons. We build ramps.
Here are some additional photos from today’s build.
The materials for these ramps are provided by CASA which stands for Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound. CASA is a non-profit agency located in Huntsville, Alabama that provides services to individuals age 60 and older and to the homebound (wheelchair and bed bound) of all ages since 1979. CASA’s mission is to provide needed services to aging/homebound individuals that allow them to remain at home and age in place. Our programs are designed to enable the elderly and homebound to maintain their independence, dignity, health and safety by providing services that specifically address their special physical and emotional needs.
Everyone on the team has a job. Measuring, Carrying, Cutting, Assembling, and Inspecting. There are plenty of jobs to do and the team is always looking for new members who enjoy spending a Saturday morning in fellowship while helping out members of our community. No special skills are needed.
CASA builds wheelchair ramps for needy individuals regardless of income or age and at no cost to the client. Wheelchair ramps provide CASA clients the mobility necessary for safely entering and leaving their homes, while promoting a sense of independence and freedom and access to the outside world. Each ramp is custom designed for each client and built by CASA volunteers. By providing wheelchair ramps, we are providing our clients with the knowledge that there are people in the community who truly care about their well-being.
The Messiah Lutheran Church ramp team is one of the many teams in the greater Huntsville area that support CASA by providing teams to assemble the ramps at the client’s homes. If you would like to participate in a future wheelchair ramp build, please contact the Messiah Lutheran Church Office at 256-721-0041.
The team performed like a well oiled machine today. It only took about 5 hours on the work site to complete the wheelchair ramp. The owner and her family were very happy with the finished result. After the build was complete, the team headed off for pizza and fellowship.