Volunteers Build a Lifeline: A Ramp That Makes Home Safe Again
The front steps of Ms. C’s mobile home in Alexandria were rotting beneath her feet. With limited mobility, she climbed them carefully, afraid of falling. Then her adult daughter moved back home after developing a serious medical condition that required frequent hospital visits and caused severe dizzy spells. Suddenly, both mother and daughter urgently needed a safer way to get in and out of their home—one that would meet their needs now and in the future.
Ms. C and her daughter called Rebuilding Together–AFF to ask whether we build wheelchair ramps. We did—and even better, we had a donated 40-foot aluminum ramp and rails in our storeroom that could work for their home. A site visit by staff and volunteers confirmed the property could accommodate an ADA-compliant ramp.
But this project was anything but simple. Because of the height of the mobile home’s front door, replacing the failing steps with a sturdy platform and new steps required a building permit. An air conditioning compressor in the yard further complicated the platform’s design.
Our staff and volunteers mobilized quickly. A new volunteer with CAD expertise created the site plan and initial drawings, while another volunteer with decades of experience navigating permits and inspections developed multiple versions of the plans for county review. Approval to use the existing concrete slab for three of the platform’s posts required a professional engineer’s load calculations. Thanks to our past board chair Scott Brideau, we secured this $1,000 analysis pro bono.
Additional hurdles remained. Gaining approval from Fairfax County for the twelve ramp posts to rest on footpads and pavers, rather than traditional concrete footers, required close coordination with the ramp manufacturer and ongoing communication throughout the permitting process. When the permit was approved, it marked a major milestone and a moment of celebration for our entire team.
We took full advantage of unseasonably warm days in early January. Over five workdays, volunteers dug three footers, built the platform and steps, assembled the ramp and rails, and passed county inspections for footers, framing, and final approval. In total, fifteen volunteers contributed 169 hours to make this ramp a reality. Special thanks to Bill Marshall, Marvin Greenberg, Jim Dillon, and Lou Wood for leading the design and construction and supporting our staff throughout the project.
Today, Ms. C and her daughter can safely come and go from their home with confidence. And our work isn’t finished. Once the snow melts, another Rebuilding Together–AFF team will return to repair a fallen gutter and downspout and complete additional health and safety repairs inside their home.
