For a person with a disability, access to and from their home can be the biggest barrier to independence. Without proper Barrier free access, a home can be a virtual prison to someone with mobility issues. However, a ramp can provide much needed freedom for that person.
Lenawee County has a long history of providing ramps to adults with disabilities. Many groups have been involved over the years, including Lenawee County Department on Aging, Habitat for Humanity, Crossroads Church, Helping Hands, Knights of Columbus. However, the need continues to outweigh the available funding and volunteer labor needed to meet the demand for ramps. Oftentimes the need for a ramp is immediate, and the waiting list is long due to these budget and labor limitations.
To address the additional need for funding and labor to build ramps in Lenawee County, several groups have recently come together as an ad hoc committee. The committee includes the Lenawee County Department of Aging, UAW Ford Ramp Program, Habitat for Humanity, Community Action Agency, Housing Help of Lenawee, Helping Hands, Area Agency on Aging, Goodwill and disAbility Connections and United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties in partnership with the Monroe/Lenawee County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council. The collective group was able to contact and connect with the UAW-Ford. UAW-Ford is committed to bettering our communities through community service. One such project has been aimed at making accessible housing a reality for our neighbors in the communities where UAW-Ford has a footprint.
Since 2012, UAW-Ford teams have built more than 2,000 ramps around the United States. The collaboration between the UAW National Ford Department and Ford Motor Company headed by Vice Presidents Gamble and Dirksen which have joined forces with an array of non-profit organizations to improve the quality of life for thousands of Americans.
The UAW-Ford Ramp Program has established a working relationship with the Monroe/Lenawee County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s Community Services/Community Action Liaison Program in partnership with United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties. Through this partnership they hope to increase their capacity for those who are in need of barrier free access to and from their home.
The first ramp (pictured above) has now been completed through this partnership that can provide labor to meet the demands for ramps in Lenawee County, but not the funding. That’s where the community comes in: funding.
The Project Ramp ad hoc group is seeking grant funding, but they need an ongoing source of revenue for Project Ramp. The United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties has offered to include Project Ramp as a donor designation in Lenawee County as they do in Monroe County. However, more immediate funding options are needed. Each ramp costs approximately $1500, and after the County’s Department on Aging budget of $5,000, another $17,500+ is needed each year.
If you would like to help “Ramp Up” much needed funding for ramps in Lenawee County, donations are accepted through the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties. Please earmark donations for “Lenawee Project Ramp” and send to 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15, Adrian, MI 49221. Or donate online at www.unitedwaymlc.org.
For anyone who would like to apply for ramp assistance, please contact Michael J. Smith, AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison at msmith@unitedwayMLC.org. Or call the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties at 517-264-6821 or visit www.unitedwayMLC.org . They are located at 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15 in downtown Adrian.
*Media in this article courtesy of a press release from United Way Monroe/Lenawee County*
Tune into our local and state newscasts, anytime day or night, for this story and more.
Follow WLEN-FM: 
#wlenradio #wlennews #lenaweenews