On Saturday (October 5, 2019), the congregation of Grace United Church held a dinner celebrating 10 years of ramp building for people with mobility issues.
The crew has built ramps all over Allegany County – from Rushford to York’s Corners, Cuba to Alfred, and lots in between. The crew is headed by Dennis White. John Flurschutz provides the needed engineering to ensure each ramp is up to code.
“Over the last ten years we’ve built 34 ramps,” White told the group. “We did eight this year. And those numbers don’t include the ones we did for Purple Heart Homes, or the existing ones we modified.”
Kim Toot, Chair of the General Board at Grace United,
presented White and his crew with a plaque that not only said thank you to the
group, but renamed them the Grace United Drill Team. “When people are able to
get in and out of their homes, they can continue to be a part of the community
around them. This program helps them
maintain that connection,” said Toot.
“This ministry is our response to God’s grace.”
Members of the ramp crew from Grace United include White,
Flurshutz, Ed Czarnecki, Dale Johnson, George Johnson, Phil Pratt, Jan Riley,
Tom Kailbourn, Joe Tecza, Ken Van Dine, and Dave Toot. Other helpers include Mike Schmidle, Marshall
Green, Mark Vossler, Paul Vossler, Boris VanDruff, Jim Leonard, and Terrance
Rogers.
The mission was formed when Ruth Kohman left a bequest to
her church. Members looked at community
needs and realized that people were having trouble getting ramps when they
needed them. They found a program in
Michigan which provided plans for modular ramps that can be assembled off site
and installed when needed. The ramps can
also be uninstalled when the homeowner no longer needs them. The Kohman money
provided a good start. The group has
also received several grants from the Genesee Valley Association of the United
Church of Christ, the Dr. Lyle F. Renodin Foundation, and individual
contributions.
