A new agency to Clinton County is about to make a big splash in the county. Servants at Work, Inc. (SAWs) has been awarded a grant by the Clinton County Community Foundation in order that ramps SAWs’ volunteers will build for Clinton County’s low-income disabled residents. The grant is for three ramps and they have one request at this time.
SAWs applied for the grant under the category of social services which includes the support of human service organizations, programs for children and youth and services to the age.
SAWs volunteers build high quality wooden wheelchair ramps for individuals in their community who are in need of a ramp but cannot afford one. To qualify for a ramp, they must be physically disabled, with a household income level be at or below 200 percent of the poverty line. In Indiana, 13.8 percent of the residents have a disability. About 73 percent of SAWs clients are seniors 55 and over.
According to an article titled “Kentucky and Indiana called the worst in US for long-term support of elderly, disabled” by Darla Carter/Courier-Journal/USA TODAY Network, July 11, 2017, “A national scorecard puts Indiana at the bottom of the heap when it comes to providing long-term services and supports for seniors and people with disabilities.
While the American Disabilities Act sets high standards for ease of public access for persons with disabilities, no public funds for assistance in the home are available to help these persons become as independent as possible. These needs must be met with private assistance. That is why the support of organizations like the Clinton County Community Foundation are so important for this work.
The mission of the Clinton County Community Foundation is to connect people, resources and causes to produce a positive and sustainable change in the communities they serve. It is a resource to assess and respond to changing community needs. Grants are made only to organizations whose programs benefit the residents of Clinton County and preference is given to those projects that have high visibility in the community. They welcome grant applications from any 501(c)3 organization that is doing work to make our community a better place.
SAWs presently serves over 60 counties in the state of Indiana. The corporate office is in Indianapolis and we provide services to each county and the county is not charged for these services. SAWs volunteers have built about 2000 ramps in Indiana since the organization was founded by Rik Hagarty in 2003. They have been incorporated as a 501c(3) organization since 2011.
The average ramp costs about $1,000 for materials; all labor is provided by volunteers using the SAWs unique ramp design. Funds granted by the Clinton County Community Foundation will be used only to serve disabled persons in Clinton County.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to help build the ramps can call Program Director, Rik Hagarty at (317) 656-9767.
The SAWs ramp design is unique because it is removable and reusable. About 5 percent of the projects built are salvaged, usually after a client is deceased. The ramps are built with standard details so the frames for ramps and platforms are usually interchangeable. The project can be dismantled, stripping the deck boards from the frames keeping those intact. Railing and support members are resized and incorporated into the projects in progress, as are deck material and frames. About 75 percent of the lumber from a salvaged ramp can be recycled into components for several new projects.
Anyone with long-term disabilities with income below 200 percent of poverty level who might be in need of a ramp can go to the SAWs website, sawsramps.org and click on Apply for a Ramp. Someone will return the call as soon as possible.
Communities slowly deteriorate as their population ages or moves away, often to find living conditions that are more supportive to a person with disabilities. By allowing persons with disabilities to remain in their neighborhoods and remain active participants in their communities, SAWs ramps give those neighborhoods a greater chance for survival.