Each day I climb a few steps to get in and out of my house. On the days when I feel especially energetic, like Fridays a little after 5:00 pm, I bound up the steps two-at-a-time. Navigating them is so routine that, despite often being preoccupied with my responsibilities at work, my plans for the weekend, and any other topic that requires my time and attention, I never even break stride. Many in our community are not as fortunate. For many family, friends, and neighbors, the challenges presented by those few steps change their lives; they make it difficult to make doctor’s appointments, to meet with friends, to go to work. These steps become insurmountable obstacles.
Earlier this month we met Maria, an Iowa City resident facing the challenges of an inaccessible home. Our Helping Hands crew built the ramp pictured below. The picture is evidence that Maria’s days of mindlessly climbing the stairs, or jumping up the stairs two-at-a-time, are forever in her past. But the picture also shows the future; one with better health, family reunions, and coffee with friends. We are happy to lend a hand to make these moments possible for Maria. -Article written by Scott Hawes, IVHFH Helping Hands Program Manager If you, or a loved one, could benefit from a ramp or aging in place modification, contact our office at (319)337-8949 for more information about Helping Hands. For more than ten years, members of the Women Build Committee have come together to raise money, swing hammers, and support homeownership for first-time buyers. Because of their can-do attitude and willingness to roll up their sleeves, Women Build has become one of IVHFH's great successes. In addition to assisting in all practical matters related to building a house each year, the women of the committee have long inspired our affiliate and pushed us to discover new ways to support affordable homeownership. And as we grew, the Women Build Committee grew alongside -always demonstrating the values that make Women Build so successful. So when IVHFH staff made a request to this year's committee to sponsor a Helping Hands project, the committee unsurprisingly embraced the challenge and got to work. And because of that work, a woman who was facing the problems that accompany inadequate housing can now bathe safely, get in and out of her house without falling, and perhaps even grow a garden next year. So, to the women of the Women Build Committee, past and present, we say thank you. Thank you for supporting this project. Thank you for inspiring us to be better. Thank you for showing us how far a little grit and determination can take us.
Do you need affordable home repairs or accessibility modifications?
Email scott@iowavalleyhabitat.org or call 319-337-8949. Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity (IVHFH) does not operate on an island. We’re enthused by those in the community and industry who believe in a better life for others. In fact, earlier in the year, our executive director ran into Andy Martin of Martin Construction at a Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition meeting. He joked with Andy, saying he looked tired and ragged. Andy explained that he was running on fumes, but still managed to drag himself to the meeting. A few months prior to that, GT Karr of Sueppel’s Siding & Remodeling met with our construction staff and I to discuss ways to provide energy audits for low-income residents in our community. And, last fall, Katie Lammers of Lammers Construction and her crew spent most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at our Women Build, working with volunteers to build a house for an underserved Iowa City family. Finally, Jane Hagedorn, recently retired from Bea Day Plumbers, has spent the better part of 15 years volunteering her time for various IVHFH initiatives. For her efforts, she was inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame in April.
Which leads me to our featured project. Last February, a social worker from the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics called IVHFH to inform us that one of its patients needed a wheelchair ramp. He could no longer manage the steps on his porch and consequently missed several medical appointments. As a result, he was hospitalized with a life threatening condition and prevented from returning home until he could safely enter and exit his house. Within a week of receiving the call, we’d constructed a ramp and the gentleman was recovering in the comfort of his home. The simple ramp was not a feat of ingenuity. Three guys chipped ice from the sidewalk and then built it with treated lumber, brackets, nails and screws above it. But the project still is noteworthy. It greatly improved somebody’s quality of life, because safe, affordable and decent housing is a basic necessity. It’s a necessity that improves physical health; a necessity that helps children perform better in school; a necessity that allows individuals and families to stand on more stable financial footing. Too many people live without this necessity, so we build. We get a lot of help from volunteers like Katie and Jane. We draw inspiration from affordable housing advocates like GT and Andy. We lean on our colleagues in the trades, including Karyl Bohnsack, Larry Nelson, Bryan Bunting, Alex Andino, Mike Homewood, Jake Stransky, Jeff Bergo and the staff at Tomlinson-Canon. However, this list isn’t exhaustive. So, to all IVHFH supporters, we say thank you. We couldn’t build without you. Article written by Scott Hawes, Helping Hands Manager, Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity Featured in the August 2019 edition of the Iowa City Area Home Builder's Association Builders News |
|