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TYLER, TX (KLTV)
By Brenna Burger, Multimedia Journalist
A Texas nonprofit spent their morning building hope for those in desperate need.
“Sometimes you don’t know where your help is going to come from, but here it is.” Dee’s partner Lynn, was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2014.
In December Lynn fell and broke her neck, leaving her completely immobile.
“The ramp is a blessing because this is where she fell, and this should enable me to get her in and out, into a vehicle a lot easier, so I’m really thankful for this,” Lynn’s partner, Dee Hodges says.
The Texas Ramp Project is a non-profit organization that provides ramps for the disabled, at absolutely no cost.
The project has built close to 15,000 ramps since they started in 1985, and 150 of those projects were built right here in Smith County.
Each ramp uses about $500 worth of material, adding up to about $80,000 a year.
“Where does the funding come from? Begging.” Smith County area coordinator, George Cronin says all of the funding for the projects comes from either donations or grants provided by various companies.
Cronin says, building a ramp is about building independence, because to some people who live by themselves, a ramp could mean keeping them out of a nursing home.
“It really gets to the point where they will need to seek help outside the home and going to a nursing home, and to me that’s just a sad deal, I don’t want to go there as long as I can make it on my own,” Smith County area coordinator, George Cronin says.
If you would like to donate, or volunteer for the Texas Ramp Project, visit their website at, www.texasramps.org
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