DETROIT – Harvey Andrews,93, has a hard time getting around these days. So bad in fact he has trouble getting in and out of his house.
But that is where Habitat for Humanity stepped in. Now the veteran is getting a brand new ramp free of charge.
“This is the first time I’ve been able to get out on my own for four months,” said Andrews.
Andrews has had to rely on help from neighbors to get down the stairs.
“He has been looking forward to this day,” said Andrews' stepdaughter, Vicki Bonner.
His stepdaughter reached out to Habitat for Humanity to help fund the project for her stepfather who served in the Korean War and World War II.
“We had looked into ramps and they were just unaffordable for our family,” she said.
Andrews lives in Trenton so the project was a little bit of a stretch for Habitat for Humanity in Livingston County, but they were able to work it out since veteran related projects are a priority.
“For us, it’s important to help elderly people age in place, that’s a big thing that we put emphasis on,” said Ryan Skomial of Habitat for Humanity.
They hired a company to build the ramp, stretching from Andrews' door all the way down to the grass.
Andrews is elderly with this pandemic already making him feel isolated from the world. Losing his ability to go outside for four months has been difficult so he’s looking forward to getting the chance to enjoy this nice fall weather.
“I am speechless. The whole idea that my stepfather is finally going to be able to see the sun,” said Bonner.