Escambia County Pilot Program Provides Wheelchair Ramp Help
September 2, 2019
An Escambia County pilot program is providing wheelchair ramps to needy residents.
The county provides funding for supplies and materials in partnership with not for profit agencies who install the ramps using volunteers.
So far, there have been seven ramps constructed in Escambia County, with two of those in District 5.
At 52 feet long, it took about $1,000 in materials to construct a ramp on Lewis Street in Cantonment. But a small ramp on Chemstrand Road was only about $100 because much of the wood used was leftover from a previous project.
“Volunteers do all the work, and the county pays for the materials,” Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Manager Meredith Reeves said. “It makes for a really good program that is helping people.”
The participating agencies received a grant earlier this year to provide volunteer labor. The agencies are:
- Council on Aging of West Florida $10,000
- Pensacola Civitan Club, $12,000
- Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, $6,000
- Ray of Hope, of Northwest Florida, $14,000
The Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division will screen applicants for income eligibility and other program requirements. Once an applicant is approved, the agency will be notified by NED for scheduling of ramp installation.
Income limits for the program, based up household size will be:
1 — $36,550
2 — $41,750
3 — $46,950
4 — $52,150
5 — $ 56,350
Homeowners interested in applying for assistance may contact the Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division at (850) 595-0022 or ned@myescambia.com.
Pictured: A wheelchair ramp at a home on Lewis Street in Cantonment. Pictured below: A wheelchair ramp at a home on Chemstrand Road. Both were constructed with volunteer labor through an Escambia County pilot program. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
4 Responses to “Escambia County Pilot Program Provides Wheelchair Ramp Help”
I am Assisted Living personnel and I was looking for someone to volunteer to paint my clients ramp and replace a few boards that are old and rotted I had called Council of Aging but they said since she doesn’t come there she can’t get any service I’ve called Habitat for Humanity and they were supposed to call back but haven’t yet. So I was checking to see if y’all can replace some boards and paint it for her she is low income.
When i first retired in the early ninetys i did these for Council on Ageing it felt rewarding to see them used for first time. Help put a smile on a face by volentering.
Great program looking forward to using it for my patients.
Thank you for helping our community. This is a very big need in are area. How do we get an application for our patients. I am a social worker at a dialysis clinic and have many needs in my unit. Thank you.